Kale and Roasted Mushroom Pasta

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2

Wipe clean and remove the stems from the mushrooms Cut the mushrooms in half. (Cook’s note: You can also just tear the mushrooms roughly in half – it is kind of fun to see what shapes you get when you tear them.) Divide them amongst two rimmed baking sheets in order to hold the mushrooms in a single layer.  Divide the cloves of garlic, lemon zest, and rosemary sprigs amongst the two sheets (1/2 on each sheet).  Sprinkle each sheet with ¼ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss the mushrooms on each sheet with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Step 3

Transfer to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Halfway through cooking, move the upper baking sheet to the bottom and vice versa. Roast until browned. Watch closely.

Step 4

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Step 5

Clean the kale by stripping the leaves from the stems. Pile the kale leaves on top of each other and slice very thinly crosswise.

Step 6

Once the pasta water boils, toss in the pasta and cook according to the package directions until almost al dente (stopping about 1-2 mins of recommend time will allow the pasta to meld with the mushrooms without being overcooked). Reserve a few cups of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta.

Step 7

In the same pot in which the pasta was cooked, melt the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the kale and cook until wilted. Add in the roasted mushrooms and stir until incorporated.  Toss in the drained pasta. Add in 1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water.  Stir and allow everything to simmer together for a few minutes.  If too dry, add in more of the reserved cooking water.

Step 8

Remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan and parsley.  Serve sprinkling with additional parmesan and parsley.  Enjoy!