Sunday Kitchen - Homemade Purple Kale & Wholemeal pasta

Purple Kale & Wholemeal pasta with a Sage & Ricotta stir through.

This week’s recipe is based on a very simple ‘grow your own’ vegetable........ Kale is one of the easiest vegetable to grow, not requiring too much attention and it survives frost.

As well as being simple to grow, it is incredibly good for you and full of nutrients, high in calcium, vitamin K and vitamin C.

My toddler loves Kale and is often seen in the garden chopping through the leaves, so she loves this recipe.

I have included a simple stir through sauce that complaints this pasta. 

(I do use a pasta rolling machine, if you don't have a one I cant see why you couldn't just use a rolling pin and a little patience)

Ingredients

150 grams wholemeal or plain flour (‘00’ Italian Four)

2 eggs (1 Whole and 1 yolk)

200 grams Purple kale (could use other varieties of kale or spinach)

Method

Wash the Kale and remove the woody stalk- place in a pan with a little olive oil and cook through till slightly wilted. Place on paper towel and leave to cool.

Place flour and eggs in a food processor and pulse till it resembles breadcrumbs. This could take 2-3 minutes (If your dough appears too dry add a little water, and if too wet a little more flour).

Chop kale as finely as possible and add to pasta dough mix. Knead for 1 minute and from into a ball. (It will fill quite hard to knead) Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Then cut the dough in half and roll out  flat with a rolling pin. Now, using a pasta machine at the widest setting, pass the dough through 5-6 times folding the dough in half before each roll. Repeat with second dough.

Now you can pass the dough through, starting at the widest settings and working to the thinnest. (Attempt to go as thin as possible)

Place the flat and thin section’s of pasta dough under a slightly damp cloth until ready to cut.

Change the settings to cut the dough - I used the fettuccine setting. Then roll through (this part of the procedure you may feel you need some extra hands, but with a bit of practise.....) and leave to dry till ready use. (Preferably hanging)

Boil some salted water, add fresh pasta and cook for a few minutes till al dente.

Serve with whatever sauce you like...... Or you might want to try it with my ricotta stir through sauce......

Sage & Ricotta stir through sauce

Ingredients

Green kale- remove stalk

3 Sage leaves

1 clove of garlic

250 grams Ricotta

2 tablespoon of olive oil

Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese

Add all ingredients into food processor (except Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper), whizz till smooth season to taste. Warm through and add homemade pasta and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

*variation use feta cheese instead of ricotta for extra flavour.