My youngest, Lauren Olivia, continues to be a vegetarian. I thought this was just a phase, but I thought wrong! So... I'm in a constant search of delicious recipes that we all can eat. When I say we all, I specifically mean my oldest daughter, aka My Very Own Drama Queen. She loves everything and anything that is not healthy. OK... well she does like orange juice, watermelon, mango, pineapple, zucchini, squash and broccoli. Yep...that would be it for healthy.

So this one particular afternoon, I was on a mission to find something for dinner, that was yummy, fast and easy...
 

Winter Pasta

I used penne here, but you can substitute whatever pasta you like. Spinach can be substituted for the kale if you like as well.

4 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 small shallots, peeled
1 small bunch of kale - 1/2 lb / 8 oz, stalks removed, washed well
1/3 cup / 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup / 2 oz goat cheese, plus more for topping
2 tablespoons + hot pasta water
fine grain sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
fresh lemon juice - optional
12 oz / 340 g dried penne pasta
fresh thyme - and thyme flowers

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the boiling water generously, and add the garlic and shallots. Boil for 2-3 minutes, stir in the kale and cook for another ten seconds. Don't overcook. Working quickly, use a slotted spoon or strainer to fish the greens, garlic, and shallots from the water. Use a food processor to puree the ingredients along with the olive oil and goat cheese. Add a couple tablespoons of hot pasta water if needed to thin things out if needed. Then season with a touch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Taste. Depending on your goat cheese, you might need a little extra acidic oomph if your sauce is a bit flat. If so, add fresh lemon juice a bit at a time until you're happy with it. Set aside.

Reheat the pot of water and boil the pasta per package instructions. Drain and toss immediately with the green sauce. Serve topped with a few pinches of fresh thyme, and more crumbled goat cheese.

Serves 4-6. 

I had extra sauce left over, so we used it as a dip for Tostito chips and veggie's. You could also add some pine nuts to the pasta, if you like...

XoXo