Linguini with Breadcrumbs and Kale by Hotplate Gourmet
Hotplate Gourmet made her ambitions very clear -- this linguini dish is to be a respectable weeknight dinner, something easy but good. Well, it's more than that -- we think it's terrific. Like an old Italian nonna, Hotplate Gourmet has you use the pasta water to help cook the kale and has you add breadcrumbs to the kale to fortify the pasta. You saute the breadcrumbs in oil, then add garlic and kale, and not too much of either. The garlic gently scents the kale and the greens add substance and sweetness, without making you feeling like you're eating kale for the sake of eating kale! You pull the dish together with some fresh olive oil and grated parmesan and you have a wonderful fall dinner. Next time we make this, we'll set aside the breadcrumbs after they've been toasted and add them back to the pan once the kale has been cooked. Their crunch is so great, you don't want to risk having them get soggy! - A&M
Recipe Slideshow
photo 5 of 11
...all the oil disappears! The breadcrumbs get golden quickly -- be sure to watch them to avoid burning.
View This Recipe
photo 6 of 11
While Merrill browned the breadcrumbs, Amanda chopped the kale into managable pieces.
View This Recipe
photo 10 of 11
After adding the kale to the pasta, we added a bit more olive oil, and seasoned.
10 Comments on Sunday Pork Ragu:
This recipe brought back a lot of childhood memories, particularly of the aroma of the sauce as it filled the house. Well done!
Thank you -- I love making this sauce because it reminds me of my childhood as well. I have many cherished memories of my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother making this dish.
I want an invitation when "cookingvictoria" fixes this meal. Set a place for two more and make a double recipe.
Hi Goomba! You know that you are always welcome at our table. Come visit us in Victoria. I promise that I will make this for dinner, that is if you bring the wine! :)
There are many many recipes for Sunday Pork Ragu and this one sounds perfect except: It need s minced garlic to be added to the pot after cooking the onion. AlForno has a great recipe from George's mother in Over Spaghetti. The use of pork with the bones and then crumbling the rich pork into the dish is a great addition.
Thank you for your comments, italian foodie! I agree -- gotta have garlic in Sunday ragu. My full recipe on the site does include adding a generous amount of garlic after the onion is cooked. I am thinking that perhaps Merill couldn't show every cooking step in the slide show, so possibly the garlic step ended up on the cutting room floor?
I love that you guys are using really high end pasta.
Me too -- love the rustichella d'abruzzo pastas. In fact, when I tested and photographed this recipe before submitting it, I also used rustichella d'abruzzo's penne ragate!
Congratulations - I love the idea of getting bone flavour and the mix of meats! Very well done
Thank you so much, Kitchen Butterfly! I agree -- there is nothing quite like the pork bone flavor in a ragu, and the combination of hot and sweet Italian sausages adds a lot of depth to the sauce. At times, I have also added homemade meatballs to the mix, which is kind of over the top, but they deliver a deliciously meaty flavor too. I love the fact that Sunday Ragu is so versatile!
Please Sign up (or log in) to add a comment!