Smoky Mushroom and Kale Pasta

Pasta is undeniably one of my favorite ingredients. I love how it's at once a blank slate for showcasing the other ingredients in your dish while also being an integral element on its own. I love that changing the shape of the pasta you're using makes it a completely new dish. And I absolutely LOVE that there are, like, hundreds of pasta shapes from which to choose. I could honestly spend the rest of my life on a quest to try every single shape ever made. (Ooooh! That's going on the Bucket List.)

Now, in light of its endless flexibility, pasta makes it onto our weeknight menu pretty often. There's usually no recipe involved, no plan whatsoever, in fact. It's a, "What do I have in the fridge/freezer/pantry and which spice blend sounds good?" situation, and that's exactly how the following recipe came about. I had some curly kale that needed to get used, as well as some fresh mushrooms, and I hadn't used my Smoky Mushroom blend in a while, so I thought I would give that a go. And OH MAN, it just worked. It was everything I wanted in a quick weeknight meal, and it will surely be on regular rotation from now on.

Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Smoky Mushroom & Kale Pasta

Smoky Mushroom and Kale Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound long dried pasta of choice

• Kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced

• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced

• 1 bunch curly kale, stemmed and thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon Smoky Mushroom

• 1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about 1 ounce), plus more for serving

Directions:

In a large skillet or medium heavy-bottom pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and kale and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms start to soften and release moisture and the kale begins to break down, about 5 minutes or so. Add Smoky Mushroom and stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is done.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. When the pasta is al dente, transfer it to the skillet with the sauce, along with about 1/4 cup of pasta water. Stir gently to coat and to help the sauce thicken slightly. Add grated cheese and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with additional cheese, if desired.