Pasta with kale pesto

Pasta with Winter Pesto Green salad Ingredients: Pasta Kale Garlic Cheese Salad greens Lemon (For best results, read recipe fully before beginning.)

1) Prepare the ingredients: - Strip the kale leaves from their stems, leaving the leaves whole.

- Using the side of your knife, smash the garlic cloves. Discard the papery skin.

- Finely grate the cheese.

- Quarter and de-seed the lemon.

- Heat a medium pot of generously salted water to the boil on high.

- Separate lettuce into individual leaves and place in a salad bowl.

2) Start the sauce: - Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small pan on medium until hot. Add smashed garlic and cook until golden brown on both sides (be careful not to let it get too dark or it will taste bitter), about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

- To boiling salted water, add prepped kale and cook until tender but not soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the kale to a blender (we are using tongs so the kale holds onto some of the water).

If you don’t have a blender, use a food processor, or a mortar and pestle, or just finely chop with a knife - this is rustic Italian food: any of the above is ok!

3) Cook the pasta: - Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 8 minutes (for al dente), or until done to your liking.

- Drain, reserving 1/2 pasta cooking water.

4) Finish the sauce: - To the blender with the kale, add the garlic and the oil the garlic was cooked in. Season with salt and blend until smooth.

- Transfer to a large mixing bowl, along with the cooked pasta. Toss vigorously to combine. Add the pasta cooking water a little at a time, just to achieve a saucy consistency (you likely won’t use all the water).

- Add grated cheese and the juice of 2 lemon wedges and toss to combine. Finish with a glug of olive oil.

5) Dress the salad and finish your dish: - Dress the salad with olive oil, the juice of the remaining lemon wedges, salt, and pepper.

- Divide the pasta between 2 dishes and serve the salad alongside. Enjoy!