In the middle of a week of cold rain, I've been wrestling with a cold. My ‘first of the season’, as they say...except its usually much further into the 'season' IF I get sick at all. This one is a doozy, its been a week since I first started feeling it, and its not giving up yet. Not an evening has passed where I have seen ten o'clock, more often than not, I'm asleep by nine. As a result, the eating and cooking going on in our kitchen has been limited. Over the weekend we ate salads, sandwiches, and leftover meatballs. Monday night we ate baguette, cheese, and an heirloom tomato while standing at the butcher block. (not the worst of our dinners I assure you). Tuesday I was determined to do something with our produce, and to turn on the oven to chase away the chilly air hanging around our house. Something hearty and healthy, that was also warm and comforting. Enter the roasted vegetables.
I've waxed nostalgic about eggplant before, but last night this eggplant was not destined for stir-fry or any kind of Asian application. I needed something a bit closer to home. Kale is another comfort food of mine, a hold over from early college vegetarian adventures. We eat it often, and even the man was heard to utter "I love kale" last night. Do you know what made the difference for him?
I roasted it.
Yup. After reading all those blog posts about kale chips, I succumbed. I didn't roast it to a chip level, only enough to reduce it (by almost a third) and to crisp its edges. The flavor is deepened, and it retains its texture. Prior to roasting it I tossed it in olive oil and crushed red pepper, which gave it quite a bite. All in all I probably used a bit too much since I have cold and my taste buds are off, so if you don’t like spicy, I would suggest halving the red pepper, or omitting it completely. The eggplant I roasted whole, turning the formerly dark, firm vegetable to something that resembled a giant raisin. (I find a bread pan worked really well, you don’t have to worry that your aubergine is going to roll out of its pan and into your oven) Once roasted our purple friend slips out of his skin very easily. Mashed slightly and combined with a bit of pasta water, lemon zest and a small handful of fluffy grated Romano (use a micro planer, you will get a very fine, quick dissolving shred) he makes a lovely, (if not slightly grey,) and toothsome sauce. What could be better to dress some whole-wheat penne? You can pile the quickly roasted kale up on top of your little eggplant-sauced pasta, and pretend for an instant, that its acceptable to eat your dinner while standing in front of the open oven door.
Roasted Kale and Eggplant ‘Sauce’
Serves four (or two, with lunches)
1 medium eggplant
½ bunch of kale washed and torn to quasi-bite size chunks (keep in mind it shrinks)
½ box whole wheat penne cooked to package instructions, ½ cup of pasta water reserved
¼ cup olive oil divided
Zest of a small lemon
¼ cup finely grated / shredded romano cheese
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper to taste
Coat eggplant in a tablesppon of oil, salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
When the eggplant begins to resemble a giant raisin, toss kale in olive oil, salt peeper and crushed red pepper, lay on a baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes. Remove the veggies from the oven. In a large bowl, cut the top from your eggplant and remove the skin by peeling it back in strips, it should come off very easily. Using a wooden spoon combine the roasted eggplant flesh, zest, and cheese. It should be a rather ugly, greyish paste. Thin as desired with pasta water, and combine with hot pasta. Top with a healthy pile of roasted kale.
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