To prep mushrooms, wipe clean with a paper towel, and chop off the woody base. Break or chop into 1-inch clusters.

Peel 4 3-inch strips of lemon zest, then cut into very thin strips. Reserve lemon for juice.

In a small to medium saucepan, melt butter oven medium-high heat. Butter will melt, bubble up, then die down and start to edge golden after about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye – once butter begins to darken, it can burn quickly. Swirl butter until brown flecks appear on the bottom and the butter itself is a warm brown hue. Remove saucepan from heat, add sliced shallots (butter will bubble up a bit) and a generous pinch sea salt; set mixture over very low heat to caramelize while you prep the rest of the dish, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, make pasta and sauté mushrooms.

Bring a big pot of water to a boil, add a few big pinches sea salt, and cook orecchiette to al dente. Drain, then set aside.

Set a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of brown butter from the saucepan, and toss in half the mushrooms and a pinch sea salt. Let mushrooms develop a nice sear before turning, about 3 minutes a side. Mushrooms should be cooked but still pretty firm. Remove to a large bowl and repeat steps for the second batch, removing cooked mushrooms to the same bowl. With skillet still over medium-high heat, add white wine. When sizzling dies down after a minute or two, fold mushrooms back in, and add kale, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Fold in brown butter and shallots. Taste, and add sea salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. Remove from heat.

Fold mushroom mixture in with orecchiette. Season again with sea salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Top with Asiago crumbles. Set pot on the table, pour a few glasses of wine, and get to it.