Parmesan and Pancetta Pasta with Kale

This quick, one-pot pasta dinner hits a wide spectrum of flavors: it’s savory with crisp bits of pancetta, umami-rich with Parmesan, green and minerally with kale, spicy with pepper flakes and bright with a last-minute addition of lemon juice. We use sturdy lacinato kale (also called dinosaur or Tuscan kale) and add it to the pasta midway through boiling. Some of the starchy, flavorful cooking water is reserved before draining and added back to the pasta-kale mixture, creating a light, sauce that ties the ingredients together without weighing them down.