• Prep the Ingredients
• Heat up a large pot of water with a couple of teaspoons of salt added to cook the pasta in. Also heat up a saucepan big enough to hold 4 eggs with lightly salted water.
• While the water is heating up in each pan, chop the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.
• Trim the the kale by removing the center stems and thinly slicing the leaves.
• Now for the fun job….pluck the leaves from the stems of the bunch of thyme. Toss the stems.

Soft Boil the Eggs

• When the saucepan of water comes to a boil, gently add themes with a slotted spoon to the water.

  The recipe says to cook for 6 minutes which I did but found the eggs to be a little overcooked. I would suggest trying 5½ minutes and see how you do.
• When the eggs are done, drain the pan and quickly since under cold water for 1 minute. This helps stop the cooking process and gets them cool enough to handle so you can peel them.
• When all peeled, transfer the eggs to a bowl and keep warm. Be very careful not to break the eggs.

Mushrooms and Brown Butter

• Heat a large fry pan over medium heat until hot. Add the oil and when hot, add the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms for 8 - 10 minutes until they release their water, soften and start to brown.
• Add the butter and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the butter foams and subsides. Keep cooking the mushrooms in the butter, swirling the pan now and again to keep the butter from burning.
• Continue cooking for 3 - 4 minutes until the butter turns a deep golden brown and has a nutty fragrance.

  BE CAREFUL not to burn the butter. It can happen quickly so keep everything moving.

Cook the Cavatelli

• While the mushrooms are cooking, add the pasta to the large pot of boiling water. Give it a stir to keep it from sticking. Cook for 14 minutes or just before al dente.

  Normally I would recommend cooking the pasta to al dente, firm to the tooth, but since you are will be finishing the pasta with the mushrooms, you need the pasta a little firmer.
• Note - if you are using fresh cavatelli, the cooking times change. Fresh pasta takes much less time to cook than dried.
• When the pasta is ready, remove 1 cup of the pasta water and reserve. You will use this water to help make the pasta sauce. Drain the pasta and reserve.

Finish the Dish

• Back to the pan with the mushrooms and browned butter, add the kale and fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper.

  Give the ingredients a stir and continue cooking for 4 - 5 minutes until the kale wilts.
• Add the pasta along with half the reserved pasta water, stir, taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Continue cooking and stirring for a few minutes until all the pasta is coated with sauce. If the sauce appears to be dry, add some more of the reserved pasta water.

  Taste again and adjust seasoning.
• Remove the pan from heat and get ready to plate.

Plate the Cavatelli with Mushrooms

• Dish pasta and sauce between 4 plates or bowls. If you have extra, save it for seconds or one of the kid’s school lunches.
• Carefully place the soft boiled eggs on each plate and finish with some grated cheese on top.