Huge, Healthy Bowl of Pasta and Greens

emphasis on huge

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Hello to My Leafy Greens!

It was funny to me when kale became a thing, when kale caesars swept the nation, when kale chips were getting stuck in everyone’s front teeth, when kale gnocchi showed up the Trader Joe’s frozen section. I wasn’t thinking about any of that when I developed today’s recipe for One Bunch of Kale for One Person Pasta.

Sing it.

Growing up in an Italian household, kale was one of the key cucina povera ingredients my mom unleashed on us several nights a week (along with beans, garlic, and grains). As an undergrad, kale was useful when all I wanted was a gigantic bowl of pasta. By emulating my mother, I could get a copious amount of greens in there, which meant I got to carbo-load and watch Cops, all while being extremely healthy. Life was so simple then.

It wasn’t until I cooked my first recipe out of Suzanne Goin’s Sunday Suppers at Lucques that I took the extra step of blanching the kale in salted water before adding it to a skillet. The kale became shriveled, almost crisp, seasoned to the cellular level. Revelatory.

Sounds fussy—is it? Cooking a mountain of kale in boiling water is a lot easier than gradually cooking it down in a skillet—within four minutes it shrinks down to a sauté-friendly mass. You get to the endpoint faster, you can control the tenderness more effectively, and you will ultimately use less oil.

Does it taste better? Because the kale is simple to handle, seasoning it properly comes more naturally. Plus, wilted kale absorbs flavor faster.

Is it extra? No—you’re already boiling water for the pasta. Same pot.

Once I figured out how to get all that kale in there, it was obviously the right amount for one person. That’s why there’s an entire bunch in this single bowl of pasta.

I’m all grown up now, so instead of Cops, I like to have my pasta alongside Summer House, The Pitt, I Love LA, Industry, and RuPaul’s Drag Race.

xox

Carla

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The recipe for One Bunch of Kale for One Person Pasta is posted below for paid subscribers. Thank you for supporting my work!