Name: Slow-Cooker Braised Kale and Chickpea Sauce
Total time: 4 h
Ingredients: 1 onion , chopped fine; 2 slices bacon , chopped fine; 6 garlic cloves , minced; 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas , rinsed; 2¼ cups chicken broth; 1 pound kale , stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; Salt and pepper; 2 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (1 cup); 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice

Why This Recipe Works

Tackling a healthier version of traditional pasta sauces head-on, we started by adding just a little bacon to the mix, which infused the sauce with smoky undertones; to keep things easy, we microwaved it along with the aromatics, which included a hefty dose of garlic and pungent minced rosemary. As for the chickpeas, whose nutty flavor paired well with the earthy kale, we found that pureeing half of them in the blender with some of the broth gave the sauce body that would otherwise have come from cream. The kale was added raw to the slow cooker along with the bacon mixture, the pureed and whole beans, and the remaining chicken broth. At the end of the cooking time, we had a flavorful, brothy pasta sauce that needed just lemon zest and juice for brightening and Parmesan cheese for added richness.

Instructions

Lightly coat slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Microwave onion, bacon, garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to prepared slow cooker.

Process half of chickpeas and 1 cup broth in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds; transfer to slow cooker. Stir remaining chickpeas, remaining 1¼ cups broth, kale, and ½ teaspoon pepper into slow cooker. Cover and cook until kale is tender, 5 to 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.

Stir in Parmesan and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.