Estate Comforts
Pappardelle with Kale Pesto, Spinach and Portobello Mushrooms
The Strategy:
Blending fresh kale, garlic, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese makes for a vibrant, nutrient-rich pesto that coats the pasta beautifully. Roasting thick portobello mushrooms until tender adds a satisfying, meaty texture that sits perfectly atop the wide pappardelle ribbons. Be sure to save some pasta cooking water to toss with the pesto and fresh spinach, creating a silky and seamless sauce.
Ingredients
Pesto
- 1 pound kale, about 4 cups
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ cup pine nuts, toasted, plus ½ cup more for pasta
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, about ½ cup
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
Pasta
- 2 Portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces fresh pappardelle pasta
- 1 pound fresh spinach leaves, about 4 cups
- 2 ounces Pecorino cheese, grated, about ½ cup
Instructions
Pesto
- Make the pesto by placing the kale, garlic, ½ cup pine nuts and parmesan cheese into the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse to combine. With the blade running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to form a thick paste.
- Season with some of the salt and pepper.
Pasta & Mushrooms
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Brush both sides of the mushrooms with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place into a baking dish and bake until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Cut the mushrooms into thin slices.
- Cook the pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water until al dente, just a couple of minutes for fresh pasta.
- Place the pesto into a large bowl and add the spinach leaves. Reserving 2 cups of the pasta water, drain the pasta and place into the bowl with the pesto. Ladle in 1 cup pasta water into the pasta and toss to combine. (You can add more water if the sauce is too thick.) Place the mushrooms on top of the pasta.
- Sprinkle the dish with Pecorino cheese and top with extra pine nuts.
The Heart of the Table
This green-hued pasta dish brings a fresh, garden-inspired elegance to the table, looking like a work of art. The earthy mushrooms and bright kale pesto evoke a sense of wholesome abundance, encouraging guests to relax, linger, and enjoy the clean, vibrant flavors of the harvest.
The Art of the Host
- a hand-turned, wide-rimmed salad bowl crafted from solid cherrywood
- a set of matte-finished ceramic salad plates chilled beforehand
- a set of minimalist, mouth-blown crystal coupe glasses with slender stems
- a professional Hawthorne strainer with a tight-coil spring
- a set of heavy-gauge, satin-finished stainless steel mixing bowls
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Twirl the pappardelle onto a rustic platter, layering the sliced roasted portobellos on top and scattering with toasted pine nuts and shaved Pecorino.
- THE POUR: A crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc or a chilled white grape juice infused with fresh tarragon and lemon.
- THE VIBE: Morning Sunroom. Sunlight streams through the windows, highlighting the bright greens of the pasta as everyone enjoys a leisurely weekend lunch.