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Rigatoni with Tomato, Kale and Fontina
This one-pot pasta dish lets pantry ingredients do the heavy lifting. Fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and rosemary are bloomed in olive oil to release their essential oils before a full can of tomato paste, which provides a bulk of the flavor backbone, goes into the mix. Cooking the paste until browned develops flavor compounds that make this vegetarian dish rich and savory. Of course, the cheese helps, too. Diced fontina melts into the pasta, creating a creamy, unctuous texture; Taleggio also is a delicious option. We prefer lacinato kale, which sometimes is sold as Tuscan or dinosaur kale. Bunches vary in size; you’ll need about 1 pound—one large bunch or two small ones—so if in doubt, toss the kale onto the produce scale at the supermarket.
4 to 6
Servings
Don’t forget to reserve about 2 cups cooking water before draining the pasta-kale mixture. You’ll need the starchy seasoned liquid to create silky sauced noodles.
35 minutes
Ingredients
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1
pound rigatoni or ziti
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Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
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01In a large Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Working quickly, remove about 2 cups of the cooking water, then stir the kale into the pot and cook for another 1 minute. Drain and set the pasta-kale mixture aside.
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