Coming in hot with another quick and easy weeknight pasta dish - this time in the form of Cheesy Kale Pasta!
I'm clearly having a moment with leafy greens. Kale, spinach, arugula... I'm all over it. I currently have no less than 5 containers of greens in my fridge and I can't get enough. I had such an aggressive amount a few weeks ago I decided to use up a few bunches and fold them into a simple pasta. The result - perfection. Really easy, really delicious and a great way to get tons of veggies into a meal plus cheese and garlic. Cheesy Kale Pasta is a recipe for success if you ask me. And, if you already like my cheesy creamed kale and kale and bacon dip, you will love this!!
Cheesy Kale Pasta
This pasta is a really easy, really delicious and a great way to get tons of veggies into a meal plus cheese and garlic. Cheesy Kale Pasta is a recipe for success if you ask me!
Ingredients
- 3 large bunches kale any type (about 1½ pounds)
- 12 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- ½ cup olive oil plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan plus more as needed
- Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Strip the kale from ribs, then tear the leaves into 2 inch pieces.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy bottom skillet over medium low heat. Add the kale and sauté for 8-10 minutes until wilted.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the kale and cook for about 1 minute more. Season with salt and black pepper and stir to combine.
- Cook pasta until al dente. Once cooked, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the cooked pasta to kale mixture along with the parmesan and a splash of the pasta cooking water. Stir to combine and simmer over low heat. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve.
Notes
Always save some pasta cooking water before draining it. You'll come to see this is the best way to finish up any type of sauce.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 598mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 10085IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 580mg | Iron: 3mg
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The taste of the pasta came out great! However, the (freshly) shredded Parmesan seemed to clump a lot and I’m not sure what I did wrong / how to fix. Any ideas?
Any tips to make this with out the cheese clumping? We are using a very finely grated Parmesan and are careful to add it slowly while stirring but every time (3x!) there is still some cheese clumping. Any ideas? Love the recipe otherwise!
Add more pasta water
One of my favorites!! We add lemon
This was very yummy! Used more like 1/2 the kale to cater to my group... I think it’s my second time making it. I think I’d rather add cheese when plating next time. It got a bit too sticky. Liked the toasted breadcrumb idea from comments, but forgot to do it!
How many will this serve?
4-6
delicious, and like most people, I hate kale.
This was so delicious and made me feel sort of healthy while eating pasta! I love how much flavor you get from just a few ingredients. Added some toasted breadcrumbs to add some more texture and this was an amazing bowl of spaghetti.
This was SO good! Super easy and we all loved it!
Love this for a simple dinner. Sometimes add a squeeze of lemon for some acid!
Fast, easy, delicious - we love it!
Your Cheesy Kale Pasta recipe gave me a reason to try kale. Simple recipe. I have no excuses. Lol
Def gonna try
Oh my goodness! This looks and sounds so good. Can't wait to try! 🙂
This will be perfect tonight! I need to start using all the over-wintered kale before it starts to bolt. Yay green and cheesy pasta!