Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Kale, and Parsnips

Hi There!

This crazy weather we have here in Pendleton, Indiana, where one day it's -12 degrees for the high and less than a week later it's over 40 and all the snow is melting away.  I much prefer the later.  In any case, drastic changes in the weather seem to make people more vulnerable to flu bugs/viruses.  To help boost my family's and my immune system, I cooked up this super rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants dish-- Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Kale, Parsnips.  Plus, I decided to live on the edge a bit and try something I normally wouldn't make.  This dish fit the order perfectly on all counts, and I was extra pleased with the results.

 

 Here's the reason why I almost didn't make this dish.  Parsnips.

I had never tasted of these before in my life.

They were different than what I had expected, as I was told they tasted like a carrot.  For those of you who have yet to taste of them, they may resemble the shape of a carrot, but do not taste like one.  They have a very distinct flavor, of which I am not fond of in and of itself.  However, combined with  garlic, onions, and wine, these magical roots can make a meal SING with yumminess.

Those are the parsnips on the plate in the back, after they have been sauteed in olive oil.  I did not care for them at this point. Oh, I ran out of white wine and used a dash a white wine vinegar.  It's not a good substitute, but since I only used a little it seemed to bring out an even more robust flavor of the wine drenched veggies.

 

I added the kale and thought there is no way all of this kale that it calls for is going into that pan.  Trust me, it does.  After kale is cooked, it shrinks-- considerably.

Atlas, this is what the dish looked like when finished.  I found the recipe in a torn out page of Cooking Light magazine.  I took my second bite of parsnips and they were fabulous.  In fact, they make the dish!!  Without the parsnips the dish would be extremely bland; they add a savory sweetness that is simply incredible.

My family does not consider a meal to be complete unless there is a meat.  Lucky for them, I made a pork tenderloin to go with this meal.  Oddly, we had leftover pork tenderloin; I know!!

  

Since, the original dish was such a hit, I decided to cook up something similar using quinoa in place of pasta, and I tossed in a handful of matchstick carrots.  The thing with quinoa is it needs to be rinsed off first to become void of it's bitter coating.  A fine mesh strainer does the trick.

  

 Here's what the leftover masterpiece looked like:

 

 Sunday, my family and I went swimming at the YMCA in Fort Harrison.

The water was very warm in the leisure pool and felt great on my sore, worked-out muscles. 

We all had a really good time.  The swimming wore us all out.

 Smile-- yeah, I'm taking pics at the pool.

 Not sure what this look that Troy is giving is all about.  Hah.

Eat well, play well!  Ya'all take care.

Pasta with Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Parsnips 

From, Cooking Light Magizine

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 
• 3 cups (1/3-inch) diagonally cut parsnip (about 1 pound)
• 2 1/2 cups sliced onion (about 1 large) 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 8 cups trimmed chopped kale (about 3 bunches)
• 1/2 cup organic vegetable broth
• 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. 1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add parsnip to pan; cook 12 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring occasionally. Place in a large bowl; keep warm.
2. 2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium-low heat. Add onion to pan; cook 20 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in thyme and garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in kale and broth; cook, covered, 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Uncover; cook 4 minutes or until kale is very tender, stirring occasionally.
3. 3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a sieve over a bowl, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Add drained pasta to kale mixture. Stir in parsnips, 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; cook for 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Add remaining 1/4 cup cooking liquid if needed to moisten. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.