Kale and Summer Squash Sauté

Posted on August 7, 2014 in Cooking

OMG it really feels like summer in New York City. Besides the heat [which has been hot], local farmer’s markets are busting at the seams with summertime favorites. This recipe features three of my favorites: kale, summer squash and fresh herbs. Oh, and garlic. I LOVE GARLIC.

The spiralizer was featured in my recent domesticate yourself top 5 kitchen gadget. It’s a great tool that makes vegetables into noodles by mimicking the shape of pasta. While my husband didn’t mistake the summer squash noodles for regular pasta, this was a perfectly lightened (but still filling and satisfying) dish.

In a completely stereotypical summer evening, I served this dish with grilled shrimp, on our roof top with cold rosé. So good.

Ingredients for two servings:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 medium summer squash or zucchini, washed, dried and spiralized through a spiralizer
4 cups kale, washed, dried and roughly chopped [unless you are using baby kale, then you should keep the leaves whole]
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, pulsed in a food processor until fine
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tbsp pinenuts, toasted
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic and red pepper flakes
2. Add summer squash noodles and mix to combine with the spiced oil, cook about 1 minute
3. Add kale and 1 tbsp water if the mixture is too dry, cook about 2 minutes or until kale begins to wilt
4. Mix in basil, tomatoes and half the parmesan cheese and pinenuts, salt and pepper, stir to combine
5. If you are serving warm, plate the sauté and top with the remaining portions of parmesan cheese and pinenuts
6. If you are serving cold [like I did], refrigerate about 2 hours and then top with the remaining portions of parmesan cheese and pinenuts

What’s your favorite summer vegetable? Have you ever used a spiralizer? I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe at home! Hope you enjoy…

-MW.