Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

The pantry was a little empty apart from packets of penne pasta, waiting for a rainy stay-inside kind of day.

And this day is here, as the heavens open up and lawn mowing plans are put on hold.
With trays of kale, microgreens and seedlings, I decide on a quick nutritious lunch of steamed microgreens and pasta in a creamy garlic sauce.

Kale is a popular super vegetable that a lot of people don't seem to know quite what to do with. Basically, I treat it the same way as silverbeet, steaming, boiling or eating it raw.

Often I find kale is sweeter when the leaves are smaller, and it seems to grow easily without too much bother now the weather is cooler.

The benefits from eating or juicing kale are now well-known, which has made it such a popular vegetable retaining a mid-high price. But good luck trying to find it at the supermarket.

Grab some seedlings or seed and grow this remarkable vegetable now. It can be continuously harvested for quite a while, just like silverbeet.

Creamy penne pasta and kale

Serves 2
Ingredients
200g penne pasta
1 Tbsp butter
½ red onion, cut finely
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ glass white wine
3 Tbsp parmesan powder
200ml cream
1Tbsp mild mustard
4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch fresh small kale leaves
Salt and pepper

Method

Cook pasta and steam small kale leaves over the top of the pot at the same time.

Once the pasta is cooked drain and set to one side.

Sauté onion and garlic in butter and cook until soft.

Add in sliced sundried tomatoes and mustard and reduce down with the wine.

Once the wine has almost evaporated add in the cream. It should be a fabulous reddish, yellow colour.

Now add in the parmesan powder and reduce a little more.

Then add the pasta back in, followed by the steamed kale leaves.

Mix together and serve in bowls topped with kale microgreens.