Name: Spaghetti with Mushrooms, Kale, and Fontina
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered; Salt and pepper; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth; 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 12 ounces spaghetti, broken in half; 12 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped; 6 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups), plus extra for serving

Why This Recipe Works

We partially cook the pasta and then add kale to the pot to steam while the pasta finishes cooking.

Before You Begin

Shredded fontina cheese adds both flavor and a creamy texture to the sauce.

Instructions

Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, covered, until mushrooms release liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in broth and tomatoes and their juice, increase heat to medium high, and bring to boil. Stir in spaghetti, reduce heat to medium, and cook, covered, for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place kale on top of pasta and cook, covered, until pasta is al dente and kale is tender, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Stir kale into pasta.

Off heat, sprinkle fontina over pasta, cover, and let sit until fontina is melted, about 2 minutes. Stir in fontina until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing extra fontina.