Kale & Spring Garlic Pasta

Last night I cooked up some delicious pasta with kale, green garlic and garlic scapes, red onion, crushed tomatoes and fresh herbs.  The greens and garlic were grown locally, some at Ten Eyck garden and some on Bill Maxwell's Farm.  I adapted a recipe from the NYT, and was unsure as to how it would turn out.  Thankfully the eaters were sated and content; the meal was both fresh and filling.

Recipe:
1 bunch kale, cleaned, fibrous stems removed, cut in strips*
1/2 red onion, halved and cut into thin slices
1 small green garlic, finely chopped
6 garlic scapes, finely chopped
15 oz. crushed tomatoes
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt, pepper, olive oil
1/2 box pasta
small handful each of chives, parsley, and thyme, finely chopped
parmesan cheese
1/2 - 1 cup water

1.  Saute onion and garlic over low heat with salt, pepper, olive oil and red pepper flakes until soft.  Start pasta water once onions and garlic are cooking.

2.  Add kale to onion and garlic, along with 1/2 cup water.  Cover, stir occasionally, add water if there is no liquid on bottom of pan when stirred.

3.  When water boils, add a generous pinch of salt and pasta.  Stir occasionally to keep pasta from clumping in first 3 minutes of cooking.

4.  Once kale is cooked (softer and a more muted green color), add crushed tomatoes.  Stir occasionally and let simmer for 7-10 minutes.

5.  Drain pasta when finished cooking.  Remove vegetables from heat, add pasta, mix well.

Serve with mixed herb as garnish and parmesan cheese.  Serves 3-4.

For interested readers, more recipes will come as the gardens continue to produce.  Also, if you have recipes you'd like to share, please let us know!

*I used young kale, so I did not have to remove much of the stems.