Killer’s Kale & Feta Friggin’ Pasta Salad

Directions

Cook the pasta

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the cavatappi until al dente (usually 1–2 minutes less than the package says).
2. Drain, coat with a light application of olive oil, and toss.
   1. You may opt to cool it down with water first, which is fine.
3. Let it sit and cool, or it will melt the cheese.

Massage the kale (this is the secret to great texture)

1. Place the chopped kale in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil (go easy).
2. Massage vigorously with clean hands for 2–3 minutes until the leaves turn dark green, soften, and lose their bitterness. This makes the kale tender and far more enjoyable than raw. You skip this step or don’t go long enough, and it really shows in the texture (you’ll hate it).

Make the fresh basil-garlic dressing

1. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, minced garlic, chopped basil, salt, pepper, and lemon (if using) until well combined and slightly emulsified.

Prep the cheeses and assemble

1. Assemble the salad in the large bowl with the massaged kale, add the cooled pasta, crumbled feta, and grated Parmesan.
   1. Crumble the feta into chunky pieces (don’t make it too fine).
   2. Grate or shave the Parmesan fresh.
2. Pour the dressing over everything.
3. Toss gently (it’s easy to mess up the feta, but it doesn’t matter too much, I guess) but thoroughly with hands until every piece is coated. The pasta will soak up the garlicky basil oil as it sits.
4. Let it rest (if you can…I can’t), cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (ideally a couple hours).
   1. This lets the flavors meld, and the garlic, basil, and tomato infuse the pasta; the kale stays tender, don’t worry.