Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

• servings: Serves 4
• active time: 5 mins
• total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

12 ounces spaghetti

½ to 1 cup pasta water

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 large bunch lacinato kale, stemmed and chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley

Parmesan or Vegan Parmesan, for serving

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the garlic is lightly browned around the edges. Add the kale, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, tossing with tongs, until the kale is wilted, up to 1 minute.

Add the spaghetti and toss to combine. Add ½ cup pasta water and the lemon juice and zest and toss. If the pasta is seeming too dry, add the remaining ½ cup pasta water to create a light sauce.

Season to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve with Parmesan or vegan Parmesan.