Cool + Crisp Kale Pasta Salad

We’re still cooking for summer in Southern Cal. And if my summer had an anthem, this Kale Pasta Salad with Parm and Smoked Almonds from the L.A. Times would be it. It’s nourishing, simple and stays fresh for a few days. It’s been a welcome light lunch or side kick to anything that comes off the grill.

If you’re making your grocery list for the weekend, consider this addition to the menu, and head to LAT Food for the full recipe. While I always make the dish as directed at least once, I’ve had some practice with this one, and I’ve included a few personal notes below.

Cooking notes

This salad is cool and crisp, and keeps beautifully that way for a few days. L.A. Times Cooking is fabulous (see postscript!), and I find its recipes well organized and easy to follow. This one is delicious as-is, but here’s how I’ve customized for our taste:

• I boil the orzo the night before and chill it in the refrigerator to skip Step 3.

• I cut the salt content to 1T for the dressing.

• I sneak in small pieces of prosciutto, and when I do, I use non-salted, roasted almonds.

• If you’re a Trader Joe’s shopper, make this salad even easier with TJ’s 10-oz. bag of torn curly kale leaves, and also: all the almonds.

P.S. L.A. Times sends out a weekly cooking e-newsletter with recipes on Sundays (PSA: sign up here!). It’s a nice gift to wake up to on the weekend, and if you’ve been cooking from the LAT, I’d love to get your recommendations!