Crispy Kale Pasta Toss

It took me a while to like kale. It's not something I grew up with. Not like collard greens. But like other southern greens, kale tastes excellent with bacon. I particularly love it baked so I decided to make a meal that would showcase all the things I love about kale.

What You'll Need:
4 cups kale, roughly chopped
6-8 ounces whole wheat pasta
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced 
2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (or more!)
1 lemon
Salt, pepper and olive oil

What to Do:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Add parmesan to warm pasta. Fry bacon in a pan until mostly crispy, draining fat half way through. Add onion and cook until clear. Finish bacon and onion mixture with minced garlic for a minute before removing from heat.

Meanwhile, coat kale in olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until crisp, about 8 minutes. Watch the kale carefully because it burns easily! 

Toss kale in bacon and onion mixture. Add to pasta along with the tomatoes. Squeeze lemon over pasta and add olive oil, if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste. 




















I love the acidity of the tomatoes and lemon with the richness of the bacon and cheese. The kale adds the perfect earthy, crispy finish. Anyone a kale convert yet?