Keep in mind that I was not searching for recipes that used kale, or that were simple, or that involved cheese and pasta. I made it immediately, ate it immediately, and loved it a lot. Since I’m pretty sure kale has magical properties it’s so nutritious, I decided that the fact that I woke up feeling about 150% better Sunday morning had to be attributed in part to that sauce, which I’m passing on to you all, with a few revisions: the original recipe called for olive oil, but I thought it drowned out the freshness of the kale, so I omitted it this time. I also think this would be really stellar/even more healthifying with a little bit of ginger in it for kick, so I plan on trying that soon… In the meantime, all hail kale.
Creamy Chevre and Kale Pasta
Serves 2-3.
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 large bunch of fresh kale, washed, stemmed, and very roughly chopped
- 3 oz. goat cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 box rotini
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add garlic cloves and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add kale and blanch for 15 seconds (don’t overcook!) then remove kale and garlic to a blender with a slotted spoon. Reserve blanching water.
- Add goat cheese, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes to blender. Add 1/2 c. of blanching water. Blend. Add more water until consistency is as desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Return blanching water to a boil. Add rotini and cook according to package directions. Drain, mix with sauce. Serve warm, sprinkled with more goat cheese.
Dining and Cooking