Today we were taking a culinary trip down memory lane. On October 29, 2011, John and I had lunch in Bari, Italy at Giampaolo. This has become a favorite city and favorite restaurant of our family over the years since. In fact we had reservations there for our daughter’s birthday this year. Alas, we were unable to go due to the pandemic. My first course was orecchiette with mustard greens, a regional dish.

Orecchiette with mustard greens from Giampaolo in Bari, Italy

I made orecchiette with Lacinato kale for dinner last night.  I blanched chopped up kale stem pieces (in the pasta water) and then cooked them with onions and garlic. When the pasta was nearly ready I added the leafy greens and let them wilt. Then came the orecchiette with some reserved pasta water. The greens were pretty bitter so I added a dash of sugar and a teaspoon of olive oil, not nearly as much as my Giampaolo dish! A sprinkling of parmesan (If you are not vegan) and a drizzle of good olive oil finished the dish.

My orecchiette with Lacinato kale