Pasta with Greens and Garlic

Karinata Kale is a special green – a combination of Red Russian Kale and Red Mustard. It is tender, with an earthy flavor. We usually pull the leaves off of the stem and drop them into a bowl of cold water to wash them. Afterwards, roll the leaves into long cigar shapes and slice them crosswise into thin strips for this pasta recipe. Serves 4, can easily be doubled.

Olive oil
5 - 8 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 bunch of Karinata kale, stemmed, cleaned and sliced crosswise into strips, or other kale or hearty green
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1-pound spaghetti or other long, thin pasta

1.  Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the pasta. Cook and drain the pasta, making sure that some liquid still clings to the noodles.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet large enough to hold the cooked pasta.  Add the garlic and sauté over medium-low heat  until richly colored, but not burned, about 5 minutes.  The garlic must be golden, but not brown.

3. Stir the kale, lemon juice, salt and pepper into the skillet.  Cook until the kale is soft and fully tender. Remove the pan from the heat to prevent the garlic from overcooking.

4. Toss the hot pasta into the skillet with the sauce.  Mix well and transfer portions to warm pasta bowls.  Serve immediately.