Homemade Green Kale Linguine
Homemade Green Kale Linguine
Prep Time: 45 - 55 minutes, inactive rest period 30 minutes - 2 hours
Cook Time: 2 - 3 minutes (per batch)
Servings: 4 - 6
Ingredients
1 bundle (175g) lacinato kale leaves, stems removed
1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups (~350 g) 00 flour (or all purpose flour), more for rolling out the pasta
Kosher salt
Directions
Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with kosher salt. Blanch the kale leaves for 1-2 minutes, until they are brightened in color and softened slightly.
Drain the kale leaves and place them immediately into the ice bath to stop the cooking process and preserve the bright green color.
Once the kale leaves have cooled, gather them and squeeze out any excess water. Place the squeezed kale in a blender along with the egg, egg yolks, and the olive oil. Blend starting on low, then increase the speed to medium-high until it becomes a smooth, uniform puree. You can add a tablespoon or several of the ice water if the puree is too thick and struggling to blend.
On a large, clean surface, create a mound of the 3 cups of flour. Create a deep well in the center of the mound, ensuring the flour walls are thick enough to contain the liquid.
Pour the kale puree into the center of the flour well. Gently use a fork or your fingers to slowly incorporate the flour from the inner walls of the well into the puree. Continue mixing until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture forms a shaggy, cohesive mass.
Knead the dough vigorously for 8-10 minutes. The dough is ready when it is smooth, firm, elastic, and snaps back when poked. Add only the slightest dusting of flour if absolutely necessary to prevent sticking.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).
Cut the rested dough into eight equal pieces. Keep the unused pieces covered under plastic wrap. Flatten one piece into a thick rectangle.
Set your pasta machine (I used a hand-crank machine) to the widest setting. Feed the dough through. Fold the resulting sheet into thirds (like a letter) and feed it through again. Repeat this folding and rolling process 2-3 times until the sheet is smooth and uniform.
Continue feeding the dough sheet through the machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time. For linguine, stop at setting '4' or '5' on most home machines (the sheet should be thin but still easy to handle).
Dust the sheet lightly with flour and switch the machine attachment to the linguine cutter. Feed the sheet through to cut the strands.
Gently gather the cut linguine strands into small nests and dust them lightly with flour to prevent sticking. Place them on a lightly floured baking tray or surface, and cover with a light towel while you repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining dough.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season generously with kosher salt.
Add the fresh linguine to the boiling water. You may want to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the pasta is cooked and begins to float near the surface.
Drain the pasta immediately, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water for your sauce, if desired. Toss the linguine directly with your favorite sauce (a simple butter and parmesan is highly recommended) and serve immediately.