Recipe from NYT sent to me by the Tilles Family
This put such a smile on my face. A few years back, at breakfast for one of the CSA overnight events, I had the pleasure of great conversation with the Tilles family. Much of that conversation was about their love of kale. I shared my opinion on the importance of eating seasonally, and they shared their need for year round kale. A great friendship, with an amazing family grew out of all of that, so it makes me really happy to share this kale recipe you all.
Kosher
Kosher Salt, to taste
¼ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for serving
2 cloves Garlic, smashed flat and peeled
1 pound Kale, thick ribs removed
Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
½ pound pasta, like Pappardelle or rigatoni
¾ cup coarsely grated Parmigiano- Reggiano
Put a large pot of generously salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil. In a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic, and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to low, and cook very gently until garlic is soft and begins to turn light gold, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.When water is boiling, add kale leaves, and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Pull out the hot, dripping kale leaves with tongs, and put directly into a blender. (Don’t drain the pot; you’ll use that same boiling water to cook the pasta.) Add garlic and its oil to the blender, along with a splash of hot water from the pot if you need some more liquid to get the blender going. Blend into a fine, thick green purée. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then blend again.Add the pasta to the still-boiling water, and cook according to directions on the package. Ladle out about a cup of the water to save for finishing the dish, then drain the pasta and return it to the dry pot. Add the kale purée, about 3/4 of the grated cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss until all the pasta is well coated and bright green, adding another splash of pasta water if needed so that the sauce is loose and almost creamy in texture. Serve in bowls right away, and top with an extra drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the grated cheese.