Garden Greens and Goat Cheese Pasta

Preparation Pull the tough stems away from the leaves of: 1 bunch of kale (lacinato, Red Russian, or Siberian) Put the stems into the compost bucket and wash the leaves in cool water. Drain. Cook the leaves until tender in boiling salted water. Remove from the water and let cool. Bring the water back to a boil and add: 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti While the pasta is cooking, heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and pour in: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Stir in the greens and heat through. Move the greens from the center of the pan and add: 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped Allow to cook for a minute and stir into the greens. Taste for salt and add as needed. When the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Add the drained pasta to the greens with: 1/3 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese A pinch of dried chile flakes A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil Stir the greens, pasta, and goat cheese together. The cheese will melt, making a creamy sauce. Add cooking water as needed to loosen. Taste for salt one last time before serving. Variation• Depending on how sharp the cheese is, sometimes I add a splash of vinegar to the finished greens. Reprinted with permission from The Art of Simple Food II: Recipes, Flavor, and Inspiration from the New Kitchen Garden by Alice Waters. Copyright © 2013 by Alice Waters. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. ALICE WATERS is the owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café in Berkeley, California, and the founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project. She has received three James Beard awards and the IACP Lifetime Achievement award. Her most recent books are the New York Times bestsellers 40 Years of Chez Panisse and The Art of Simple Food, In the Green Kitchen and The Edible Schoolyard.

Preparation Pull the tough stems away from the leaves of: 1 bunch of kale (lacinato, Red Russian, or Siberian) Put the stems into the compost bucket and wash the leaves in cool water. Drain. Cook the leaves until tender in boiling salted water. Remove from the water and let cool. Bring the water back to a boil and add: 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti While the pasta is cooking, heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and pour in: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Stir in the greens and heat through. Move the greens from the center of the pan and add: 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped Allow to cook for a minute and stir into the greens. Taste for salt and add as needed. When the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Add the drained pasta to the greens with: 1/3 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese A pinch of dried chile flakes A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil Stir the greens, pasta, and goat cheese together. The cheese will melt, making a creamy sauce. Add cooking water as needed to loosen. Taste for salt one last time before serving. Variation• Depending on how sharp the cheese is, sometimes I add a splash of vinegar to the finished greens. Reprinted with permission from The Art of Simple Food II: Recipes, Flavor, and Inspiration from the New Kitchen Garden by Alice Waters. Copyright © 2013 by Alice Waters. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. ALICE WATERS is the owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café in Berkeley, California, and the founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project. She has received three James Beard awards and the IACP Lifetime Achievement award. Her most recent books are the New York Times bestsellers 40 Years of Chez Panisse and The Art of Simple Food, In the Green Kitchen and The Edible Schoolyard.