I had bucatini for the first time a few weeks ago and fell head over heels. Like, what have I been doing with my life? One might think that a pasta is a pasta is a pasta is a pasta, but this bucatini will prove you wrong. The thicker texture and straw-like interior of the noodles is so fun and brings an arguably superior experience to this pasta dish. After discovering these magical noodles I knew I needed to use them in a version of this super green pasta dish I had been making on repeat. Now, I’m not going back.
The sauce for this dish was born out of a desire to enjoy a bowl of pasta, but also get a LOT of veggies in at once. I happened to have some kale in the fridge, a bunch of peas in the freezer, + some broccoli just begging to be used. To round this pasta dish out I would recommend adding in some protein — salmon, chicken, etc. When you think pasta you probably think heavy and indulgent, but this version will make you think differently. The sauce is bright and refreshing and the perfect dinner for these spring nights.
Springy Green Bucatini
Serves 6
1 lb bucatini pasta
6 large leaves of kale
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
A handful of basil
A few leaves of mint
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 a lemon, the zest and juice
1/4 cup shredded parmesan, plus more for topping
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
hazelnuts, optional but add a nice crunch
protein of choice
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once boilding, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.
Add the kale to the pasta water. After about a minute, remove the kale using a pair of tongs. Remove 1/4 cup of the pasta water as well.
While the pasta is cooking, add the kale, garlic, half of the peas, basil, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan, and the 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
When there are just a few minutes left of the pasta’s cooking time, throw the brocooli and remaining oeas into the pan to cook. Drain the pasta and veggies in a colander and return them to the pot. Toss the pasta and veggies with the sauce. Serve topped with shredded parmesan and hazelnuts.
