Lemony Tuscan Kale Pasta Salad
30 Minutes
4-6+
Introduction
This pasta salad tastes like a meal you would enjoy off the Mediterranean coast, but it has the accessibility of creating it in the comfort of your kitchen. Prepared with both fresh and jarred vegetables, nuts, and cheeses, it is manageable to keep most of its ingredients on hand for a quick dinner everyone will look forward to when you're unsure what else to make. The lemony, buttery, and peppery dressing brings it all together, energizing you with summertime flavors and satisfying you with a fullness that feels just right.
How to make:
Bring a small saucepan to medium heat, (I often use the same pan I toast the pine nuts in), melt butter. Add garlic until golden. Add miso and oil until mixed to ensure all the clumps are out. Add lemon juice, zest, pasta water, salt & pepper.
Combine pasta, pepperoncini, toasted pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and oregano with the parmesan massaged kale. Mix thoroughly and coat with dressing. Bon appétit.
Note: I enjoyed this meal at a warm temperature, but you can have a great experience serving it cold. It's also excellent the next day at both temperatures.
Ingredients:
For Pasta Salad:
16 ounces of farfalle or your favorite pasta.
1 bunch of dinosaur kale (washed, massaged, and torn into small ribbon-like pieces)
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of sliced pepperoncini
1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted
8 ounces of lightly chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil (save the oil for dressing)
7 ounces of buffalo mozzarella, halved (can use traditional mozzarella)
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano
For Dressing:
1 tablespoon of butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of white miso
Oil from the sundried tomatoes (typically 1-2 tablespoons)
Juice from two lemons
Zest from one lemon (you can zest both if you would like!)
1/2 cup of pasta water
1 teaspoon of salt
3 teaspoons of pepper