Easy Skillet Kale with Lemon & Garlic

Easy Skillet Kale with Lemon & Garlic

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Recipe: Easy Skillet Kale with Lemon & Garlic

by Sheela Prakash

Updated: Jan 28, 2020

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While it may feel like kale has overstayed its welcome in the food scene, the hype over the leafy green is very much still alive. Whether that thrills you or makes you groan, knowing the right way to cook it is a total game-changer. 

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Easy Skillet Kale With Lemon & Garlic

Mastering this method will convert kale-haters, yes, but it will also inspire kale fans who feared they’d never be able to get it right at home. The good news is that it couldn’t be easier to make awesome kale at home: You need just three ingredients and about five minutes. 

How to Make the Best Sautéed Kale at Home

There aren’t any big secrets to making awesome kale — you just need a large skillet and some basic pantry ingredients. Lots of garlic is a must, plus a good amount of lemon juice, which adds brightness to the inherently earthy green. I also love to use a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for a nice, spicy kick, but it’s more than OK to skip it if heat isn’t your thing. This recipe works with any variety of kale — be it the deep, dark Tuscan kind or frilled curly kind. You also don’t need any fancy tools to de-stem the kale: You simply pull the leaves from the stems with your own two hands. 

Read more: The Fastest Way to Prep Kale for Cooking

I do have one little secret, though. Since kale is so fibrous, it can be difficult to cook down the leaves so that they’re tender and not chewy. Some recipes have you add water or broth to the skillet while you sauté the leaves, but it’s not actually necessary. Instead, after you’ve washed the leaves, leave them damp. The water that clings to the leaves will create steam when you toss them in the hot skillet. As the kale cooks, you’ll cover the skillet for a few minutes; that steam will help wilt and break down the kale perfectly. 

Easy Skillet Kale with Lemon & Garlic

YieldServes 4 to 6

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 6 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large bunches 

  kale, any variety (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

• 2 tablespoons 

  olive oil

• 3 cloves 

  garlic, thinly sliced

• Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon 

  kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon 

  freshly ground black pepper

• Juice of 1 small lemon

Instructions

1. Use your hands to pull the kale leaves from their stems. Coarsely chop the leaves. Rinse them, but do not dry.

2. Heat the oil in large, wide, high-sided sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute (do not let the garlic brown).

3. Add the kale a few handfuls at a time, stirring after each addition so that it starts to wilt, until all of the kale is added. Stir in the salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and serve.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Bucatini with Swiss Chard and Garlicky Breadcrumbs

Bucatini with Swiss Chard and Garlicky Breadcrumbs

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

INGREDIENTS

• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 12 ounces bucatini or spaghetti
• 5 oil-packed anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch small Swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, leaves coarsely torn (about 5 cups)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup coarsely chopped mint
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Finely grated Pecorino (for serving)

RECIPE PREPARATION

• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a small skillet over medium. Cook garlic, swirling in pan often, until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer garlic to a small bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Add panko to same skillet and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl with garlic.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook anchovies, mashing with a wooden spoon, until only a few flecks remain, about 4 minutes. Add chile and Swiss chard and cook until Swiss chard is slightly wilted, about 1 minute.
• Add butter, pasta, and ½ cup pasta cooking liquid to Swiss chard mixture and cook, tossing often with tongs and adding more pasta cooking liquid if sauce looks dry, until sauce is emulsified and coats pasta. Remove from heat and stir in mint, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Drizzle with oil; top with garlicky breadcrumbs and Pecorino.
• Do Ahead: Garlicky breadcrumbs can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

commentds

I made this tonight, following the recipe exactly except that I added a legume [black eyed peas cooked with garlic and salt] for protein. I love the flavor that the anchovies added, and while I noticed it, my husband, NOT an anchovy fan, did not. The mint was from my garden and was an essential flavor element to the dish. Definitely would make again- healthy and tasty. 

BETH GLACENEW PALTZ, NY 06/20/19

The other review mentions peas in the list of ingredients, and I don't see it there. Were they omitted in this iteration by mistake

FBAMOUNT KISCO, NY04/10/19

i'm a veteran recipe reader from way back. this recipe is -- shall i say it? -- magnificent! fresh serrano (unseeded, i point out), a bitter green, sweet mint + peas, bright lemon, garlicky panko (!), Pecorino and anchovy umami ... but i'd like to know Andy's reason for choosing a long hollow noodle as the pasta.