Macaroni and cheese with kale Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale (also called dinosaur kale)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 pound whole wheat macaroni, penne or ziti
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 3 cups milk (whole, lowfat or fat-free)
- 4 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded (or substitute gruyere, fontina or any combination of cheese you prefer)
- freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
Strip the kale leaves from their stems and cut the kale leaves into very fine ribbons. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the kale. Saute the kale about 6-8 minutes or until significantly wilted. Set aside.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large pot with water, add the salt, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 2 minutes less than the package directions. You want the pasta very al dente because it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain the pasta and put it into a large mixing bowl. While you're cooking the pasta, drop the butter into a medium saucepan. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk together to make a roux. Cook the butter-flour mixture about 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour taste, then slowly start adding the milk, whisking constantly. Bring the milk mixture to a simmer, making sure there are no lumps (the more you whisk, the fewer lumps you'll have). Add the shredded cheese and whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and mix well. Add the kale and a generous amount of pepper and stir again. Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray (9x13 works, or any casserole dish that looks to be the right size). Turn the pasta mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.Bake the macaroni and cheese about 40 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are nicely browned. Serve immediately.
Details
Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hour 10 mins Yield: 8-10 servings