Gemelli Pasta with Garden Greens and Pine Nuts

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions for al dente. Then reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest. Set the pasta and the reserved water aside.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast until slightly brown, about 3 minutes. Keep your eyes on them. They’re expensive little boogers and you don’t want to burn them while watching some random person win a Hawaiian trip on Wheel of Fortune. Remove the nuts from the skillet and set aside.

Back in the same skillet, add the garlic and crushed red pepper and sauté 1 minute. Add the garden greens to the skillet and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and take it off the heat. Add the Parmesan and as much pasta water as needed to make a thin sauce. Then add that olive oil and the reserved pine nuts. Toss, toss, toss. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper if needed.

Taste it. Serve and sing.