Garlic Kale Pasta for the Soul

It was a Monday. Much like any other Monday, full of drudgery, but this Monday was slightly different. The air a bit heavier, muscles tense, head and heart heavy; making it difficult to breathe or find comfort in my own skin. I went through the day completing every task on my to-do list. Go here. Call there. Do this. Document that. Mundane musings of a typical work day. Yet still different. Filled with aching thoughts of those mourning and war breaking out on a distant horizon. Swamped with social media reminders of pain and angst. Again and again. Feeling helpless and guilty all the same. Yet somehow in this faraway world, we experience “peace” and safety. Luxuries to say the least. Our days move on from dusk until dawn, existing on repeat. Physically unscathed but emotionally bleeding. I came home from work with a head full of thoughts but a mind quite empty. Unsure of what to say or do that could somehow make things feel right. Just consumed by extreme exhaustion with no true form of rest in sight. Life spins on in a vortex of chaos while we make futile attempts to remain balanced. Steady in the midst of the storm. I am sure my partner felt it too. The heaviness of it all. Expectations of complacency. The world fails to cease and so should we. Despite the entire human existence crumbling beneath our feet, we tried to lighten the evening with ice cream. I allowed my taste buds to focus in on the rich Neptune chocolate that melted onto a delicious Butterfinger cone. He opted for salted caramel. Maybe we’d skip dinner altogether. I mean, we are adults after all and I am sure that ice cream meets the requirements of some food group somewhere. But then "real" supper-time hunger set in. Accompanied by somber feelings once again. So we began to toss around ideas regarding ways to find nourishment despite neither of us really wanting to expend much energy. We laid in bed aimlessly for a moment. Then suddenly the boyfriend drifted into the kitchen, deciding to do what he does best. Bring comfort through food - assuming pasta would do. He entered into the zone of carbohydrates a la mode, in the only fashion that can soothe the soul.

Simple ingredients:

Angel hair pasta, sliced garlic, olive oil, dried pepper and chili flakes, olive oil, a squeeze of lemon as well as dry lemon zest, 1-2 cups of chopped kale, and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with shredded parmesan and bacon bits as you see fit.

Easy recipe:

1. Bring enough water to boil (based on the amount of pasta)
2. Boil the noodles
3. While the noodles are cooking, heat oil to coat the bottom of a saucepan on low heat
4. Add the kale, salt, and pepper to the oil
5. Allow the kale to wilt
6. Then add the garlic, pepper, and chili to the kale mixture as well as the lemon zest
7. Stir the kale mixture
8. Drain the noodles while reserving 1/4 to 1/2 of the cup water
9. Put the reserved water back in with the noodles
10. Add the kale mixture to the noodles and use a pair of tongs to toss it all together
11. Top with Parmesan and bacon as desired

We served our dishes and ate by the window, our food illuminated by candlelight. I could cry. Something so simple yet indescribably comforting. Sustenance. Nourishment for the weak and the weary. Nourishment for the body and soul. A reminder that even when life feels heavy, we can find comfort in a hearty meal to fill our emptiness even if only transient.