On a visit to North Carolina, my friend Mary added fresh kale to a pasta dish. It was absolutely unique and delicious, and you get salad and pasta together. It’s so easy to prepare the dressing and the oranges ahead, putting each in a separate little bag or dish in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound raw kale (I like cut and pre-washed in a package)
  • 10 oz angel hair pasta or spaghetti (I prefer rice or a non-wheat mix)
  • ½ cup almonds, sliced
  • ½ cup peanuts, dry roasted
  • 2 navel oranges
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • Dressing:
    • 3 Tbsp Chinese chili sauce or equivalent
    • 2 tsp honey or agave nectar or equivalent
    • 2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar or kiwi vinegar
    • 2 -4 tsp orange zest (to taste)
    • 1 tsp soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or more to taste)
    • 1 tsp minced or crushed garlic
    • ¼ heaping tsp unrefined sea salt
    • ½ tsp lemon pepper or pepper (to taste)
    • ¼ c. olive oil

Preparation

If you use pre-cut pre-washed kale, pull or cut out large stem pieces and discard before placing kale in the colander. Otherwise, wash kale and cut out the large stems. Roll kale leaves into a tight roll and cut in ½ inch slices with a sharp knife. Place in a colander and set aside.

Mix dressing ingredients in small bowl. Peel oranges and cut into small pieces.

Cook pasta according to package directions (I break pasta into three or four lengths as it makes it easier to eat with the kale.) When cooked, pour pasta plus pasta water into colander over the kale. Let drain for a couple of minutes.

Pour drained pasta/kale into a large shallow bowl. Lift and mix with tongs. Pour in dressing and add almonds, cranberries, peanuts, and orange pieces. Lift and mix with tongs.  

Serving

Use tongs to serve portions onto each plate as a main dish.