Kale & Shrimp Alfredo Pasta- Ep. 6

Hey everyone,

I was recently at my local Trader Joe's and bought a few goodies. I have to say the stand out item I picked up was the kale. It seemed like everywhere I looked someone was talking about kale. Naturally I became really curious on what the buzz was all about. I simply had to pick some up when I came across it while I was shopping for my produce. Since I've never cooked with kale before I figured I'd do a bit of research prior to purchasing it. Upon my research I found a lot of really good things about it. Kale is rich in antioxidants, contains vitamin A, C, and K, along with many more health benefits. I also read kale is comparable to spinach- and that's when I knew I had to try it! I have such a love for spinach no matter how it's prepared. After reading more and more about it I had a feeling I was going to like it- and after trying it, I love it! It's delicious and cooks in minutes! I decided to make a shrimp and kale Alfredo pasta. I used a homemade Alfredo sauce (will share recipe in a separate blog post), and used a whole grain spaghetti pasta.  Since spinach and kale are so similar to one another, I decided to cook the kale just as I cook spinach-  using a bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and  some finely chopped fresh garlic- super simple yet very delicious. Since kale and shrimp cook around the same time I cooked them together in a skillet while the pasta was cooking in a separate pot and had the Alfredo sauce cooking in a sauce pan. As I was cooking the kale I noticed it cooked down similar to the way spinach does. It's got a bit of a thicker texture than spinach and definitely has a bite to it, with a very slight bitter/tangy flavor-which I really enjoyed. Once the kale and shrimp were done cooking I added the pasta and my homemade Alfredo sauce and dinner was served. This meal took a matter of minutes to cook, after a long work day it was really nice to whip dinner up in no time! It's also a healthier alternative for when you have a craving for an Alfredo pasta. I now get what all the kale buzz was about! I definitely see myself swapping out spinach for kale, don't get me wrong I still love spinach - I'm just very curious to see how the flavor and texture combination of the kale works in my other dishes. Please visit this site for kales top 10 health benefits http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4408/Top-10-Health-Benefits-of-Eating-Kale.html  I hope you give it a try- it really is delicious. Enjoy!

Kale & Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

Ingredients:

1 1/2  tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups Chopped kale
1/2 lb. Uncooked shrimp (I used 41-60)
1/2 lb. Whole grain spaghetti pasta
1 - 1 1/2-cup(s) Alfredo sauce
1/2 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
1 Garlic clove finely chopped


Instructions:

1. In a skillet add olive oil, kale, shrimp, salt, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.

2. In a pot boil pasta per the instructions listed on the box. (I sprinkle a couple of pinches of salt in pasta)

3. In a sauce pan heat Alfredo sauce.

4. Add cooked pasta to kale and shrimp. 
5. Add Alfredo sauce, combine well.

Enjoy!