Market-inspired pastas

By now you’ve probably got your Thanksgiving menu organized, and like me, you may be getting a bit tired of the holiday recipes that have been dominating food pages and recipe features like this one for weeks now. So this week I’m focusing on what I’ve been craving: comforting pasta dishes. They have nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but they have a lot to do with what’s available at my farmers’ market, as well as what was lingering in my refrigerator at the beginning of the week. I decided I’d use some new pasta shapes, so I went to an Italian market to see what they had on offer. The fun part was figuring out the best vegetable/pasta shape pairings. Almost any vegetable can become a pasta accompaniment: Cook in a skillet with aromatics, moisten with some of the cooking water from the pasta and you’ve got sauce. The cooking water is important; it contains some residual starch from the pasta, which adds body and texture to the mix, and it’s already seasoned. Unless there’s a tomato sauce involved, you need it if you don’t want the dish to be dull and dry. Farfalle With Cabbage and Black Kale Cavolo nero, or black kale, is my favorite of all the kales. For this dish I cut the blanched kale and cabbage into thin ribbons and cook them in a little olive oil with garlic, shallot and chili flakes. 1 bunch black kale (cavolo nero), stemmed and washed 1/4 medium head of cabbage (about 1/2 pound), kept intact on the core 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 small shallot, minced 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes Salt to taste 3/4 pound farfalle 1 to 2 ounces Parmesan, grated (1/4 to 1/2 cup) 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; you’ll use it first to blanch the kale and cabbage and then to cook the pasta. Fill a large bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the kale. Blanch 3 minutes and, using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer kale to the bowl of ice water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Place on a cutting board and cut into thin ribbons. Add the wedge of cabbage to the pot and blanch for 3 minutes. Transfer to the ice water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Cut away the core and cut crosswise into thin ribbons. Cover the pot and keep the water at a simmer for cooking the pasta. 2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, wide skillet and add the shallot. Cook, stirring until tender, about 3 minutes, and add the garlic and chili flakes. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add the kale and cabbage to the pan. Stir together for a couple of minutes, then add 1/2 cup of the blanching water to the pan. Cook uncovered, stirring often, for 5 minutes, then add another 1/2 cup of the blanching water to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. Cover the pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. 3. Meanwhile, bring the remaining water in the pasta pot back to a boil and add the farfalle. Cook al dente, about 10 minutes. If desired, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the kale and cabbage, then drain the pasta and add to the pan. Toss together and transfer to a platter, a wide pasta bowl or plates. Top with the Parmesan, and serve. Yield: 4 servings. Advance preparation: The cabbage and kale can be prepared through Step 2 up to a day ahead. Reheat in a skillet when you cook the pasta. You will probably want to add more water from the pasta pot when you’re ready to serve. Nutritional information per serving: 439 calories; 2 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 milligrams cholesterol; 71 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 138 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 15 grams protein