First of all, let me just say that this pasta doesn’t photograph particularly well.  I’m not a great photographer to begin with, but pasta in particular (along with dressed salads) seem to always end up looking SHINY.  Ugh.  Oh well, just know that this pasta is really easy to throw together in a pinch, and it’s pretty dang delicious.

I used dino kale in this recipe, because it’s what I had sitting in my fridge, courtesy of our CSA box, but you can really use whatever kinds of greens here.  Other types of kale or spinach would be good, as would arugula (although I would eliminate the sauteing and just toss it in at the end).  Collards would be fine, but tend to take a long time to cook to get the bitterness out, so be prepared if you’re going to go that route.  I like the dino kale in this because it’s a heartier variety of kale, so it maintains a bit of texture and chew even when sauteed; but if you’re not someone who likes kale on the semi-raw side, I would choose a softer variety of greens.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Kale and Goat Cheese

• 1/2 – 3/4 lbs pasta (I used whole wheat fusilli, and would recommend using a spiral-shaped pasta for this)
• olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 bunch dino kale, stems removed, leaves torn (or greens of choice)
• 2-3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• parmesan cheese
• red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a generous handful of salt, add pasta and cook according to package directions, until al dente.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil and butter, stir until melted.  Add in shallots, salt and pepper, and saute until softened and fragrant.  Add garlic and saute another minute or two, until garlic is very fragrant.  Add in kale, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste.  Add stock to pan (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan).  Saute greens until desired done-ness is reached (I did mine for 4-5 minutes).
3. When pasta is finished cooking, transfer it into the skillet and toss to coat.  Add parmesan and goat cheese (to taste), tossing until goat cheese is melted and coats the pasta.

*Vegetarian: use veggie stock in place of the chicken stock.

*Vegan: use veggie stock and a butter substitute

*Gluten-free: use a gluten-free pasta (brown rice pasta would probably work well here)