Saturday, April 4: Spaghetti with Garlicky Kale, Marscapone, and Lemon

Kept it simple tonight: pasta and kale in lots of olive oil, garlic, marscapone, parm, red pepper flakes, and lemon. So good!

Get a big pot of salted water boiling, then add one pound of spaghetti (or other pasta). Cook just until al dente (or one minute under) according to package instructions. Make sure to reserve lots of pasta water before you drain it (or do as I do and add pasta directly to pot using tongs or a spider when ready, so that you not only add the water that clings to the noodles but also have the entire pot of water available to you).

While the pasta is cooking, make the kale/sauce! In a pan or pot big enough to eventually toss the pasta in, heat 1/4 cup or so of olive oil over medium. Add 1-3 large bunches of kale (it shrinks down a LOT, more than you think — I wish I’d added more!), stripped off stems and torn or chopped into 1-2 inch pieces (no need to be exact). You don’t have to dry it too much after washing it — the water that clings to the kale when you add to the pot will actually help it steam and cook, and will evaporate away. Add a big pinch of salt, the zest of one lemon, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Saute, tossing with tongs, until kale is wilted down and bright green. Add 5-6 cloves of minced garlic and stir for a few minutes. When pasta has just a few minutes left, add in about 1/2 cup marscapone (if you don’t have marscapone, heavy cream would also work!) and stir to melt. If you want a creamier sauce, add more — but keep in mind you’ll be finishing the sauce with pasta water and parm later on.

When pasta is almost al dente, transfer it directly to pot with the creamy kale, along with any water that clings to it (keep heat on medium). Toss vigorously, adding in a few more splashes of pasta water and about 1/2 cup of grated parm to create an emulsified, creamy sauce. Add in the juice of 1 lemon (start with 1/2 lemon and go from there), tossing all the way until the pasta is finished cooking and the sauce coats each noodle! This will take several minutes. Taste and adjust with more salt, red pepper flakes, or lemon.