Kale.

Have you ever cooked with it?! It kinda fits in the spinach category…at least in terms of how you can use it and in what recipes. It works well with pasta (I’ll be sharing another recipe later this week. But not too many after that, because I fear that kale will take over the site if I share more than 2 in a short time frame!)

I grew kale for the first time this year in my garden. I bought a few little tiny plants on a whim while the kids were at school one afternoon. And that whim turned out to be quite worth it!

The little whim plants grew, and grew, and they’re still growing. Even after cutting off leaves…more are growing in. (Same leaf picking principles apply to kale as they do lettuce.)

Anyhoo…I keep picking it. It keeps growing.

And that’s why I’m thankful for all the rain and cold weather. (It still feels like spring…and we wore jackets to the opening of Cars 2 at the drive-in on Friday night!)

So there may actually be a kale takeover here on $5 Dinners…if it keeps growing…and raining…and staying chilly…and growing…

How to Cook Full Kale Leaves

Pick off stems. Rinse. Boil in salted water.

Until it looks like this…only take a minute.

Then roll the kale leaves in paper towels or clean dish towel and squeeze them dry. (We don’t want runny lasagna, do we?!)

Rolled kale.

Meanwhile, or after you’re done with the kale rolling, saute the zucchini, onion and garlic until opaque…about 5-7 minutes.

Dump in the crushed tomatoes, combine and let simmer on low for 4-5 minutes.

While that’s simmering, combine the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and fresh herbs with a touch of salt and pepper.

Then start layering…noodles, cheese, kale, sauce…repeat.

Bake.