Cheesy Egg Noodles

Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. In a bowl, combine the dried porcini mushrooms and ½ cup of hot water. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Cut off and discard the stem ends of the green beans; halve crosswise. Quarter the cremini mushrooms. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Peel and thinly slice the shallot. Remove and discard the kale stems; roughly chop the leaves. Grate the cheese on the large side of a box grater.

Fill a large bowl with ice water; add a pinch of salt. Set aside. Add the green beans to the pot of boiling water. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until bright green and slightly softened. Leaving the pot of water boiling, using a slotted spoon or strainer, immediately transfer the blanched green beans to the bowl of ice water. Let stand until completely cool. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.

While the green beans cool, add the noodles to the same pot of boiling water. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving ½ cup of the noodle cooking water, drain thoroughly. Rinse under cold water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process.

While the noodles cook, in a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the cremini mushrooms in a single layer. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned. Add the garlic and shallot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened and fragrant. Add the kale and ⅓ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until the kale has wilted and the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat; season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the vegetables cook, reserving the water, transfer the rehydrated porcini mushrooms to a cutting board; roughly chop. In the same pot, heat the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium until the butter has melted. Add the flour; cook, whisking constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Slowly whisk in the milk, reserved mushroom water, and reserved noodle cooking water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, whisking frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat. Stir in the cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and chopped porcini mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir the shocked green beans, cooked noodles, and cooked vegetables into the pot of cheese sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among 4 dishes. Top with the crispy onions. Enjoy!