Spaghetti with kale, prosciutto and almonds in mascarpone sauce

(serves 4)

We had some leftover mascarpone from Paul's experimental croissants so decided to give this cream-alternative sauce a go! After a bit of researching online, we decided to go with a simple kale/spinach stir-in and some toasted almonds, which were awesome in terms of flavour and texture! The prosciutto and tomatoes were also great last-minute decorative taste enhancers ~ all in all a very quick and simple sauce to throw together... though not necessarily a healthier cream alternative - very yummy nonetheless!

Prep time: 15 min (or an extra 45 min including making fresh pasta)
Cooking time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1 onion
200g mascarpone
150g kale or baby spinach 
juice and rind of 1/2 lemon
50g slivered almonds
40g prosciutto
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
300-400g pasta (4 eggs, 400mL flour if making from fresh)
salt and pepper
olive oil

Method:
1. Make the fresh pasta.

Forgot to take a photo of the fresh spaghetti, so here is the linguine instead!

2. Cut the onion into thin slices. Clean and tear the kale into bite-size pieces, removing the stalk.
3. Toast the almonds on a pan on low heat for 5-10min until brown (or in the oven at 150˚C for 10-15min, turning regularly).

When the pasta is dried enough and ready to cook, start preparing the sauce. 
4. Heat a frypan on medium heat and add 1/2 T oil. Add the onions and brown. Add the kale and the mascarpone and 1/2 C water, lemon rind and juice. Cook until the kale is soft and the sauce is runny. Season with salt and pepper. Leave on simmer.

5. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. 
NB. 2-3min if fresh, or 8-10min if dried.
6. Toss the pasta into the fry pan and turn off the heat. Toss in the tomatoes and coat with sauce.
7. Serve with the strips of prosciutto and a generous handful of almonds!