Winter pasta with brown butter, hazelnuts, and kale

Step 1/4

• 150 g kale
• 60 g hazelnuts
• 50 g Pecorino cheese
• 250 g linguine

• cutting board
• knife
• fine grater
• large pot
• sieve

Remove kale from the stems and roughly chop. Roughly chop hazelnuts, finely grate Pecorino and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook linguine al dente according to package instructions. Just before draining, save a cup of pasta water.

Step 2/4

• 2 tbsp butter
• salt

• frying pan (large)
• cooking spoon

While pasta is cooking, melt ⅓ of the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped kale and sauté for approx. 4–5 min. until crispy and lightly browned. Season kale with a pinch of salt, remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, toast chopped hazelnuts with no additional fat until golden brown and fragrant for approx. 2–3 min. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Step 3/4

• 3½ tbsp butter
• 1½ tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ lemon

If needed, wipe the pan, add remaining butter in, and melt over medium heat. Brown the butter for approx. 5–7 min. Until golden brown and nutty in aroma, stirring regularly to avoid burning it. Then, add soy sauce, sugar, and a bit of lemon juice, stirring well until sugar dissolves. Add a little pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

Step 4/4

• pepper
• chili flakes (optional)

• tongs

Add cooked linguine to the pan and toss well with the sauce. Then, stir in half of the freshly grated Pecorina until it melts and the pasta becomes creamy. If desired, add more pasta water. Mix in half of crispy kale and toasted hazelnuts. Season with salt, pepper, and optionally chili flakes. Divide into plates and top with remaining kale, hazelnuts, Pecorino, and a bit of lemon zest.

Enjoy your meal!