Pesto Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Kale

To contact us Click HERE

After taking such a long break from the blogging world, Idecided to ease back in with a simple recipe that’s easy to throw together andtakes very little time to prepare (basically the time it takes to boil pasta). Iused whole wheat spaghetti and loads of vitamin-rich kale to make it a healthierdish that I can make regularly without hurting my waistline. Earthy, meatymushrooms provide some bulk, fresh lemonjuice brightens everything up and compliments the mushrooms amazingly well, andthe rest of the ingredients just kind of happened as I was going along, as mostof my recipes tend to do. I think it turned out pretty well, and I hope you do too.
Let’s get cooking!
Getting Started
You want to start this dish by getting the pasta waterready to boil; just follow the package directions if you aren’t sure how muchwater to use. While the water is taking its sweet time, cut up the kale (makesure to remove the tough spine) and parsley, and measure out the ingredientsyou’ll need. When the water is close to boiling, start heating up your sautépan.
A side note about pans: if youare using a stainless steel variety, as I usually do, letting it heat up for awhile at a lower setting (somewhere between med-low and medium, depending onyour stove) will help to prevent sticking. See this video series for more info! Ittakes a little while to get used to it, so if you are using one and yourmushrooms do end up sticking a little, the lemon juice we add later will takecare of that, so no worries!
Once the water is boiling, add your pasta and cookaccording to package directions for al dente. I used spaghetti for this dish,but you can use whatever kind you like. However, I should mention that you mayneed to add more pesto sauce at the end if you go with a pasta that has a lotof nooks and crannies for the sauce to hide in.
While the pasta is cooking, sauté the mushrooms in oliveoil over medium heat until they are tender and have released all of theirjuices. Just before they’re done, season with a little coarse salt.
Once the mushrooms are ready, add in the fresh lemonjuice. To get the most out of your lemon, roll between your palm and thecounter, pressing a little, to help release all the juices. This is especially helpfulif you’ve had a difficult time finding a ripe lemon. Then cut it in half and squeezeright over the pan, with one hand underneath to catch any rogue seeds (those scoundrels!).
Scrape up any mushroom bits that got stuck to the panwhile cooking, and then add in the kale and let wilt. I usually put a lid overthe top to speed up the process, but it’s not necessary if you don’t have one.Once the kale has started to wilt down, add in the capers (Dustin’s idea), olives(because why not?), and a few tablespoons of fresh parsley, and heat everythingthrough. This should all happen fairly quickly; you don’t want the kale to beovercooked!
Your pasta should be ready by now, and you can assemblein a couple of different ways:
1)     Add the mushroom-kale mixture and desiredamount of pesto to the pasta; heat together and serve.2)     Add your desired amount of pesto to the pastaand serve individually, so everyone can take their desired amount of toppings.
I always go with the second option because I like to useless pesto and add more veggies, but the other way is much easier – totally yourchoice!
Finish off with a little extra parsley and Feta, and you’regood to go!
Wrapping it up
I really do love this recipe. It’s great for those longdays when the last thing you want to do when you get home is cook an elaboratemeal that destroys your kitchen and takes away from your downtime (X-Filesreruns, in my case!). It also gives me a chance to catch up on some of my leafygreens, which I often have a hard time with.
If you’re not a fan of kale, I’ve also tried this recipewith zucchini instead, and it was equally as yummy. I would also like to try it withspinach, but haven’t gotten around to it. If you give it a try, let meknow how it turns out!
Ingredients
2 5oz packages sliced shitakemushrooms3 kale leaves, spine removed andcut into thin stripsJuice from 1 large lemon 1 Tbs olive oil for sautéing(less if using a nonstick pan)½ package (13.25oz) whole wheatspaghetti1 Tbs capers½ container sliced black olives (3.8oz)(optional)Pesto sauce, homemade or storebought, about ¼ cupHandful of flat leaf parsley,diced, plus extra for garnishFeta cheese for topping
Servings: About 4


Pin It
Thanks for reading my blog! Please leave your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or meals you would like to see me cook, in the comments below. Follow, share, and enjoy!

---