Hella Green Pasta

Prep Time

Instructions

1. Step 1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the kale and garlic to the boiling water and cook until the kale is very limp and the garlic is fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the kale and garlic to a blender (do not drain the pot!), squeezing out excess moisture from the kale before you add it to the blender.
2. Step 2 Return the pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to the package instructions. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
3. Step 3 While the pasta cooks, grate the zest from 1 lemon directly into the blender. Cut the zested lemon and the unzested lemon in half and squeeze their juice into the blender. Add the olive oil, Parm, 1 teaspoon salt, and the red pepper flakes. Blend on high speed until smooth, adding pasta cooking water a splash at a time as needed to achieve a thick sauce. Don burn out your blender just add more water if needed to get it to move. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
4. Step 4 Pour the sauce over the pasta (you don have to use it all, but I love pasta super saucy, so I do!) and toss to coat well. Add a bit more of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed to achieve a saucy consistency; it shouldn be too thick, but it should be glossy and stick to the noodles.
5. Step 5 Divide the pasta among bowls and garnish with more Parm and red pepper flakes before serving.

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