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Pasta with Haak or Collard Greens

11th April 2012 by Regula 13 Comments

I had never seen this type of kale before and to be honest, I had to do some research.
‘Haak’ or ‘Collard greens’ is a leafy green vegetable from mustard – cabbage family. 
They are native to the Mediterranean region but I bought them in Kent.
The leaves look like outer cabbage leaves but darker in color and sometimes almost black. The aroma and taste is something between cabbage and mustard leaves and the leaves do not get very soft after cooking like spinach leaves tend to do.

‘Haak’ or ‘Collard greens’ are also very nutritious, a 1 cup portion of cooked collard greens has about 50 calories. It is an excellent source of vitamins C, A, and K. This same serving will provide a good source of calcium, fiber, and beta-carotene, as well as vitamin E. Rich in nutrients and antioxidants, ‘Haak’ or ‘Collard greens’ are beneficial for supporting the immune system. 

the paste

The taste does take some getting used to but after you do, you will enjoy the warm mustardy flavour. I made the leaves into a pesto-like paste and mixed them with parmesan. The parmesan softens the mustard flavour a bit and the Ricotta gives the greens a sweeter touch.

What do you need 
 serves 4
1 bunch of Collard greens
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 cup of grated parmesan
4 tsp of olive oil
2 tsp of ricotta
parmesan to serve
olive oil to serve
Method
– Rinse the Collard greens well
– Remove the stalks from the leaves
– Boil salted water
– Cut the leaves to create strips
– Add to the boiling water, do not put the lid on
– Boil for 5-7 minutes
– Drain the Collard greens and keep the cooking water to cook the pasta in.
– Add the pasta to the boiling water
– Divide the Collard greens so you have 2/3 and 1/3.
– Add the 2/3 of the Collard greens to a food processor or mixing bowl
– Add the olive oil, parmesan and garlic to the Collard greens and puree.
– Add the Ricotta to the paste and stir
– Drain the pasta and keep some of the cooking water
– Stir the Collard greens paste trough the pasta, if its to dry, add some of the cooking water.
– Finally stir in the 1/3 of Collard greens leaves
– Serve with a generous amount of parmesan and drizzle some olive oil over the dish to finish it of.

This dish is delicious with a fruity white wine.

Enjoy

Please leave a comment, I appreciate every single one!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: easy, Italian, pasta, recipes, vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Thanks for reading x Regula

Comments

  1. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    10th April 2012 at 8:18 AM

    A scrumptious pasta dish! So healthy and delicious.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
    • Regula says

      18th April 2012 at 9:50 PM

      Thank you Rosa!

      Reply
  2. thelittleloaf says

    10th April 2012 at 8:30 AM

    Collard greens always makes me think of the deep south of America – I've never seen them made into a pasta sauce before but this looks gorgeous. So fresh and healthy and GREEN! Yum 🙂

    Reply
    • Regula says

      18th April 2012 at 9:52 PM

      It's really tasty,you don't need to eat a lot of it because of the spice!

      Reply
  3. Shu Han says

    10th April 2012 at 8:49 AM

    that's lovely! I actually really liek collard greens, they come in such a large bunch though, that they never seem to finish! I really like that their leaves dont get soft after long cooking, so I love using them as wraps for "dolmades"! thanks for sharing this, great idea using them in a pesto (:

    http://mummyicancook.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/collard-leaf-wrapped-herb-rice-with.html

    Reply
    • Regula says

      18th April 2012 at 9:51 PM

      That looks delicious! Must try it!

      Reply
  4. karin@yumandmore says

    10th April 2012 at 1:52 PM

    yum yum Regula and so pretty green 8-D

    Reply
    • Regula says

      18th April 2012 at 9:51 PM

      I like green, goes well with red 🙂

      Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    11th April 2012 at 4:52 AM

    I think you are on to something! Combining healthy greens with carb in a not so "guilty" application. Very nice.

    Nancy O

    Reply
    • Regula says

      18th April 2012 at 9:51 PM

      Thanks!

      Reply
  6. fionaeats.com says

    15th April 2012 at 6:44 PM

    So simple, so delicious looking! Loves it.

    Reply
    • Regula says

      18th April 2012 at 9:52 PM

      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    31st December 2012 at 6:50 AM

    Is it just as good served cold? I want to bring it to our NYE party for a "good luck" dish (greens represent money), but it will be easier to make ahead, chill and serve cold. It looks awesome!

    Reply

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Regula Ysewijn is a food writer, stylist and photographer, with a particular interest in historical recipes. he is a Great Taste Awards judge and a member of The Guild of Food Writers, as well as one of the two judges on 'Bake Off Vlaanderen', the Belgian version of 'The Great British Bake-Off'. A self-confessed Anglophile, she collects old British cookbooks and culinary equipment in order to help with her research. She is the author of 5 books: Pride and Pudding the history of British puddings savoury and sweet, Belgian Café Culture, the National Trust Book of Puddings, Brits Bakboek and Oats in the North, Wheat from the South. Read More…

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