creamed kale fettucine -walnut gremolata & ricotta
Method:
Start by stripping the kale from the stems and chopping in 1/2 inch pieces. Half and slice the yellow onion and add to a saucepan with the 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Begin sweating the onions while you wash your kale. Add the washed and chopped kale to the pan, along with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Slice the clove of garlic and add that to the pot. Stir the kale and continue to cook on high for one minute before adding the cream. Bring the kale and cream up to a boil then immediately reduce to a simmer. Let the kale and onion simmer in the cream for 5-7 minutes, or until the kale is tender and the cream slightly reduced. This is a good time to make sure your pasta pot is on.
Carefully transfer the kale and cream to a blender and blend on high until smooth. Be extra careful when you blend hot shit like this. Take the removeable little piece out of your blender lid and cover that hole with a towel. Without creating that place for hot air to escape your blender could blow up on you (no bueno). Once blended, transfer back to the saucepot and put back on a low heat to continue to simmer. Let the kale cream simmer and reduce while you cook your pasta and make the gremolata.
To make the gremolata, start by chopping the toasted walnuts until mostly fine. Add the nuts to a small mixing bowl, followed by the lemon zest, chopped parsley, a few cracks of black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Grate the garlic on a microplane or fine zester before adding to the bowl with the walnuts. Add the lemon juice and stir the mixture to combine while drizzling in EVOO. Stir together, adding EVOO until the mixture is “spoonable” or like a chunky sauce.
Toss the cooked pasta with the blended creamed kale. If the sauce around the pasta seems loose or excessive, let it cook down with the pasta for a bit until it tightens up. Top with the walnut gremolata and shaved ricotta salata. Feel free to sub shaved parmesan.
Ingredients:
1 smallish yellow onion
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 bunch of kale (I usually use Dino/Lacinato)
1 clove of garlic
1 pint of heavy cream
Salt and Pepper
Ricotta Salata for shaving
Cooked pasta
For the gremolata:
3/4 cup toasted walnuts
zest of 1 Meyer lemon
the juice of half that lemon
2 heaping tablespoons chopped parsley
1 small clove of garlic