Sun-dried Tomato and Kale Rigatoni and an end of an Era

I’ve written and rewritten this in my head all week long. And if I’m being completely honest, I’ve spent most of the week avoiding my computer, as I hoped the perfect combination of words would come to me.

But that didn’t magically happen as I knew it wouldn’t. So, as the snow pours down and my kids wrestle, argue and bombard me with school-related questions in my peripheral, I tap away searching for what I want to say.

Without sounding completely cheesy, I think the saying I’m looking for is something like ‘all good things come to an end’ or ‘there’s a season for everything.’ This recipe is my last Salt and Stone column for the Yakima Herald for the time being.

Yakima, with its bounty of local produce, neon pink desert sunsets and the majestic Mt. Adams peeking from behind the hills has been the inspiration behind every recipe I cook. Cobbling together a few words about life in our Valley, cooking with ingredients grown right here and sharing it with family and friends, who feel like family, has been and continues to be a dream come true.

My hope is that over the last couple years, you’ve found a recipe or two to share with the people you love. This column was always meant to be an approachable opportunity to have a little fun in the kitchen. In true Salt and Stone form, I knew I had to share one last veggie-laden pasta dish. What could be more Yakima-centric than a cheesy decadent pasta full of veggies and cooked in wine?

My weekly McIlrath produce box had a gorgeous bunch of kale and broccolini included and I knew immediately what I wanted to do. Now broccolini is completely optional. For this recipe, if you can’t find it at the grocery store, sub in a head of broccoli or skip it altogether. You can’t go wrong either way.

Tangy sun-dried tomatoes, a bit of white wine, and creamy mozzarella cheese come together for a bright, flavorful, delicious dinner in less than 30 minutes. If you have a meat-lover in your house who needs a little protein; add some shredded rotisserie chicken or a chicken sausage to the dish to bulk it up. These are my favorite kinds of recipes because you can adjust and swap a million and one ways to make it just right for you. The garlic, red pepper flakes, white wine and lemon will make just about any ingredient sing.

You’ll still find me in Yakima Magazine and obviously I’m right here cooking and stringing words together. I’m trying to spend a little less time on Instagram, and put that energy into this space. It’s been a slow start this year but finally picking up steam. I love your emails and comments here so keep them coming.

Sun-dried Tomato and Kale Rigatoni

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 bunch broccolini

• 1 small bunch green or lacinato kale

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

• 4 cloves garlic minced

• Zest and juice of a lemon

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 4 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese

• 10 ounces rigatoni pasta (spaghetti noodles are a great option too)

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

• Black pepper to taste

Start by setting a large pot of heavily salted water to boil. Cook the pasta to package instructions taking care to drain the noodles when they are al dente and reserving half a cup of pasta water.

Wash the kale and broccolini with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and chop into bite-size pieces, pulling the woody stems from the kale.

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil, red pepper flakes and a pinch of black pepper over medium low heat. Add the broccolini and kale to the pan, stirring constantly until the kale turns bright green and the vegetables are well-coated with oil, about three or four minutes.

Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir for an additional 30 seconds. Turn the heat to low and add the lemon zest, sun-dried tomatoes, white wine and a generous pinch of kosher salt to the pan. Continue to stir until the wine is absorbed, about five minutes. (If you prefer not to cook with wine, add a splash of chicken stock instead).

Add the pasta to the pan along with 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir well to combine the pasta with the kale mixture. Turn the heat off to the pan and squeeze the lemon over the pasta. Add the mozzarella cheese and gently stir to combine. Just before serving, sprinkle the pasta with a small pinch of kosher salt, black pepper and a dash of red pepper flakes. Serve immediately. Serves four.