Name: Simple Sautéed Kale with Crispy Pepperoni and Cherry Peppers
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds curly kale; Salt and pepper; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup pepperoni , cut into ¼-inch pieces; 4 garlic cloves , sliced thin; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons chopped jarred hot cherry pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Notoriously fibrous and tough, kale is often long-cooked. For a faster way to prepare this hearty green, we sautéed it. To account for the leaves and woody stems cooking at different rates, we cut the leaves into rough 2-inch pieces and the stems into smaller ½-inch pieces so they cooked in the same amount of time. Cooking the kale in oil in a skillet took a long time since we had to wait for each handful to wilt before adding the next. Our solution? We softened all the kale at once by blanching it in boiling water in a Dutch oven first. Once the kale was drained and pressed of excess water, we crisped up ½ cup of chopped pepperoni in extra-virgin olive oil, removed it with a slotted spoon, and then heated sliced garlic and a dash of red pepper flakes in the now-empty Dutch oven before adding the kale. After 5 minutes of stirring, the kale was completely tender and infused with garlicky flavor. We sprinkled the kale with chopped hot cherry peppers and the cooked pepperoni and added a final drizzle of olive oil, producing a flavorful side dish inspired by calzone filling.

Before You Begin

You can substitute Lacinato kale (also known as dinosaur or Tuscan kale) for the curly kale this recipe, if desired. It's important to boil the kale in the full 4 quarts of water; with less water it can become too salty.

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, stem kale by grasping leaves between your thumb and index finger at base of stem and pulling from bottom to top of stem to strip off leaves. Cut leaves into 2-inch pieces. Trim and discard bases of stems thicker than ½ inch. Cut remaining stems into ½-inch pieces. Transfer kale to large bowl and wash thoroughly.

Add 2 tablespoons salt to boiling water. Add kale to pot, 1 handful at a time, submerging with tongs as needed. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender and stems are just al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain in colander and let sit for 5 minutes, occasionally pressing on kale with rubber spatula to release excess moisture. (Drained kale can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Heat ¼ cup oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add pepperoni and cook until rust-colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pepperoni to plate. Add garlic and pepper flakes to pot and cook until garlic is lightly browned, 30 to 60 seconds. Add kale and cook, stirring frequently, until stems are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving platter and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with cherry peppers and pepperoni and serve.