Green Olive & Kale Pasta

Buttery castelvetrano olives, garlicky kale, pancetta, crispy lemony breadcrumbs and pecorino cheese.. I mean, what's not to love about this stand out pasta dish!?

Green Olive & Kale Pasta

Serves 2

What you'll need:

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided (1+3)

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

3 garlic cloves, divided, grated (1+2)

1 lemon, zested & juiced

1/4 cup chopped pancetta, guanciale or bacon, 1/4 inch dice

3 cups chopped kale

1/4 cup sliced castelvetrano olives

1/2 tsp chili flakes (or less)

1/2 lb fresh casarecce or gemelli pasta noodles

1/2 cup grated pecorino (or parmesan) cheese

Steps:

Add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot add 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs, 1 grated garlic clove and the zest of 1 lemon. Toast for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully not to burn the breadcrumbs. Once the breadcrumbs start to turn golden brown, transfer them to a plate and set aside. Cook fresh pasta according to package directions or until el dente, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water. Wipe out the frying pan with a paper towel and put the pan over medium-low heat. Add the 1/4 cup of chopped pancetta to the pan and allow to cook until almost crisp, about 6-8 minutes. When the pancetta is almost crisp turn the heat up to medium and add 3 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and stir in 3 cups of chopped kale, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 cup sliced castelvetranto olives and 1/2 tsp of chili flakes. Cook for 5 minutes to bring all the flavours together and to wilt the kale. Turn up the heat to medium-high, stir in the cooked pasta noodles, reserved 1/4 cup pasta cooking water and lemon juice, cook for 1 minute, turn off the heat and stir in the grated pecorino cheese. Season with freshly cracked pepper.

To serve: Spoon pasta into shallow bowls and serve with chili flakes and additional grated pecorino at the table.

Enjoy, my friend!