What's For Dinner: Pasta with Lentils, Kale, and Cherry Tomatoes

Yesterday, Martha Stewart featured winter greens on her show--and I thought I'd make use of her recipe for kale with tomato, garlic, and thyme. I melded this recipe with one for pasta with lentils and kale on Epicurious I had serendipitously seen on a blog earlier this week.

Pasta with Lentils, Kale, and Cherry Tomatoes

makes 3-4 servings

For the lentils:

1/2 C lentils

1/4 t fine sea salt

2 C water

1. Simmer the lentils in salted water over low to medium low heat for about 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils have softened.

2. Once softened, remove the lentils from the heat and drain off the water. Set aside.

For the kale:

2-3 stems of kale

salt

water

1. Wash the kale and pat dry. Remove the stems and stalks and roughly chop.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and boil until tender, about 5-8 minutes.

3. Remove the kale from the water with tongs and place in a colander. Squeeze out any excess water. Set aside. Save the cooking water.

For the pasta:

3 C pasta (I used a mix of penne and gemelli)

1. Add the pasta to the water leftover from cooking the kale. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Once cooked, drain the pasta, reserving 1 C of the pasta water. Place the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl.

For the garlic, tomatoes, and thyme:

olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 t fresh thyme leaves (about 1 sprig)

1. Heat 2 T of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

2. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (stir constantly).

3. Add the cherry tomatoes and thyme. Cook for about 2 minutes (the tomatoes should begin to break down.)

4. Add the kale and prepared lentils and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Next, add the kale and lentil concoction to the pasta and toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to keep the pasta moist. Plate up and Buon Appetito!