Angel Hair with Lemon, Kale, and Pecans

From the kitchen of Carly

Silky angel hair tossed with garlicky kale, bright lemon zest, and toasted pecans for crunch. The chili heat cuts through the richness while basil and olive oil finish it all off. Simple, elegant, and ready in under thirty minutes.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 11/2 cup pecans
  • 11 pound angel hair pasta
  • 11/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 14 cloves garlic, minced
  • 11/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • 11/2 pound kale, stems discarded and chopped
  • 1Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1Juice of 1 lemon
  • 18 basil leaves, torn
  • 12 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 12 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 14 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Instructions

  1. Toast pecans in a dry nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes until fragrant. Remove from skillet and chop. Set aside.

  2. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the package instructs.

  3. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Add the garlic and chili flakes and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.

  4. Add kale and lemon zest and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir carefully so that the kale will not fall out of the pan.

  5. Add the pasta, remaining olive oil, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper. Toss until everything is coated.

  6. Portion pasta onto plates. Sprinkle with the pecans and Parmesan cheese.