Baked Rigatoni with Kale

Before I write absolutely anything about food, I would like to say....GO BEARS!!! I was very skeptical of my home team, but after yesterdays beating against the Seahawks, I know we are Superbowl material. And now that the Pat's are out of the running (thank god) it makes our future that much brighter. Can't wait till next weekend to see 'em beat those hicks, the Packers!

To harsh?

Nahhhhh.

Change of subject; I love kale.

It may be my favorite veggie out there. And it's so good for you and so delicious, so why has no one eaten it before? And why do few grocery stores carry it? Mark and my friends had a confused look on their face when I said I needed to buy some kale for Sunday. Like, they haven't even heard of it. And then trying to find kale at my usual grocery stores like Jewel or Trader Joe's...forget it. They both didn't have it. I had to go to some little (but kind of amazing) produce market when I was out in the burbies to find it. Blows my mind why they wouldn't make this veggie more available to the public. Maybe it's just Chicago, I dunno.

For those that don't know, kale is a leafy green full of antioxidants and vitamin C. It's doesn't have a pronounced flavor but its super crunchy and provided a good texture is dishes. This sounds bad, but it reminds me of leaves...if you bake kale or let it sit out, it dries up like a leaf! It's kinda weird but I'm telling you, try it. This recipe is great way to introduce yourself to it. I found it at The Kitchen Sink Recipes during one of my food blog binges. Essentially, this just a yummy mac and cheese recipe with kale it in! It's super creamy but you get the nice crunch of the kale with every bite. And as far as mac and cheese recipes go, this one was on the easier side (however I was kinda stressed while making this due to the 100 degree temperature in my kitchen and missing the Jets/Pats game). And again...tons of leftovers. Go make it.

Baked Rigatoni with Kale

Ingredients:

• 1 lb rigatoni or other tubed-shaped pasta
• 1 bunch of kale, thick stems removed and leaves roughly chopped (the original says 2 bunches, but one seemed like enough)
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups of milk
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• Salt
• Freshly-ground pepper
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 4 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, finely shredded (I used more like 4)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 2- to 3- quart baking dish and set aside.
2. In a well-salted pot of boiling water, boil the pasta until it is just tender (not yet al dente). Add the kale to the pot and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until the kale is bright green and the pasta is nearly al dente (I had to use a separate pot because mine was not big enough). Drain.
   
   Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
3. In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and then the milk.
   
   Add the garlic clove and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, whisking until the liquid has become thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic clove, add the cheddar and goat cheeses, whisking until sauce is smooth.
   
   
4. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and kale and stir throughly to combined. Pour the pasta into the buttered baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.
   
   Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pasta and kale are lightly browned. Enjoy!