Caesar Spaghetti
Caesar salad meets pasta!
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
- 6 anchovy fillets, drained
- 4 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
- 2 medium heads escarole, cored, washed and dried
- Coarse black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
- 1 lemon
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Directions
Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil for the pasta. Once boiling, salt the water and add the pasta. Cook until just shy of al dente, according to the package directions, about 6-7 minutes. The pasta will continue to cook as you toss it with greens. Heads up: you need to reserve about 1 cup starchy cooking water just before draining the pasta. Ask a grown-up helper (GH) for help with boiling the pasta, if you need it.
While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Ask your GH for help with the stove, if you need it. Add the anchovies to the pan and cook until they’ve melted into the oil, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, stir for 1 minute, then add in the Worcestershire sauce. Shred the escarole and add several handfuls at a time, wilting the greens into the garlic oil. Dress the greens with lots of pepper and a little nutmeg, then squeeze the lemon over the pan.
When the pasta is ready, reserve about a cup of the cooking water, then drain it and add it to the pan with the escarole.
In a medium size bowl, add the starchy cooking water to the egg yolks and beat them together to temper them. Turn off the heat in the pan with the escarole and pasta. Toss the drained pasta with the greens, egg yolks and half of the cheese to coat evenly; toss vigorously for 1 minute.
Dress the pasta with an extra drizzle of EVOO and serve; pass the remaining cheese at the table.