Kale Puttanesca — When the Greens Win Over the Skeptic at Your New Year’s Table

Happy new year from Grand Island, Nebraska, where the temperature is eight degrees and the wind is blowing and the new year looks exactly like the old year except the calendar changed and I have to remember to write 2018 on everything, which I will forget to do until March.

The kids stayed up until midnight again, which is becoming a tradition whether I want it to be or not. Tyler fell asleep at eleven-forty-five and was woken up again, just like last year, and was just as confused and angry about it. Josie made it by sheer force of will. Justin banged pots on the porch because Dave still has not learned to not give that child permission to make noise. Amber watched the ball drop with her usual quiet attention and said happy new year and went to bed at twelve-oh-two, because Amber respects the ritual but does not linger.

I made black-eyed peas again for luck, the same recipe as last year: peas, ham hock, onion, garlic, chicken broth, simmered all day. I also made collard greens and cornbread, the full Southern spread, because if you are going to invite luck to your table you should make it a nice table. Tyler tried the greens this year and said they were better than he expected, which is how Tyler experiences most of life: better than expected, because his expectations are set at a reasonable level, which is a skill I wish more people had.

My resolution this year is the same as every year: keep going. But I am adding one more: post on the blog at least twice a month. I have been irregular about posting because life is irregular, but people are reading and people are cooking and the responsibility of that matters, even if the only person holding me accountable is a woman in Tennessee who makes my Mississippi pot roast every Thursday.

2018. A new year. The truck is gassed up. The slow cooker is clean. The freezer is full. The kids are fed. Gayle is fine. Dave is steady. Larry is on the road. I am here. We are all here. That is the resolution that matters: to still be here when the year is over. To keep going. To keep cooking. To keep feeding the people who need to be fed. Here we go.

Tyler trying the greens and deciding they were “better than expected” was honestly the highlight of my New Year’s Day — and it got me thinking about the other ways to get greens on the table that might sneak up on a skeptic the same way. This kale puttanesca is exactly that: bold and savory enough that the kale almost feels incidental, carrying all that briny, garlicky weight alongside it. If you’re building your own luck-at-the-table spread and want something that pulls double duty as a main or a side, this is the one I’d reach for — hearty enough for January, and honest enough to serve alongside anything slow-cooked and good.

Kale Puttanesca

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 12 oz spaghetti or linguine
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 anchovy fillets, minced (optional but recommended)
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 large bunch curly kale, stems removed, leaves torn into pieces
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Parmesan or Pecorino Romano for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Set aside.
2. Build the sauce base. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and just golden. Add anchovies if using and stir until they dissolve into the oil, about 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes and briny ingredients. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, then stir in the olives and capers. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
4. Wilt the kale. Add the torn kale to the skillet in batches, stirring to coat. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the kale is wilted and tender but still has some texture.
5. Combine and finish. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss well to coat, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
6. Serve. Divide among bowls and top with grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 480 | Protein: 15g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 72g | Fiber: 6g | Sodium: 720mg