A grain, a green, a bean: that’s my go-to formula for a healthful, vegan dinner. And this pasta dish is just the sort of thing you can catch me making—and eating—on a regular basis. Garlicky braised kale and creamy cannellini beans are natural BFFs, while gluten-free quinoa spaghetti (I love Andean Dream) provides the perfect toothsome base. Of course you could use any kind of pasta here, sub chickpeas for the cannellinis, swiss chard for the kale… really, when you’re cooking with garlic and olive oil, it’s hard to go wrong.
*If your kale seems very tough, you might want to boil it first (before braising), for about 5 minutes.

1 12-oz package of pasta
4 to 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, trimmed of tough stems and chopped
1 cup vegetable broth (I use ½ square of Rapunzel veg bouillon mixed with 1c water)
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
Salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

• Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.
  
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet/wok over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for about 3 minutes or so, til garlic is fragrant and a little golden.
• Stir in kale and saute for about a minute. Pour in vegetable broth, stir, and cover pan with lid. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, turning up heat as necessary and stirring occasionally, until kale is cooked through.
• Add beans and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes with the lid off, over medium-low heat, to allow flavors to meld.
• Mix drained pasta with everything else. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and serve.

Yield: about 4 servings