Creamy Kale Pasta

Creamy Kale Pasta is a quick, easy, and nourishing vegetarian meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes. Toss your favorite pasta shape with garlicky kale, lemon zest, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and the easiest cream sauce for a truly delicious dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Creamy Kale Pasta

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 650kcal

Author Katie Trant

Ingredients

14 oz fresh pasta shapes I use Trofie, but you can use your favourite.
1 medium bunch Tuscan kale de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
½ cup grated Parmesan Or Parmesan-type cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Start by washing, de-stemming, and slicing your kale into ribbons. Crush the garlic, grate the parmesan, and have everything lined up and ready to go because this comes together fast.
1 medium bunch Tuscan kale, 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup grated Parmesan
Set a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Salt well, and add your pasta shapes to it. Fresh pasta takes only a few minutes to cook, but if you're using dried you will need to plan for 8-12 minutes of cooking time.
14 oz fresh pasta shapes
When the pasta is al dente, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water and reserve for later. Then, drain the pasta and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter, olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Allow this to cook for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic has just barely started to brown.
1 Tablespoon butter, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, Pinch red pepper flakes
Add the kale ribbons to the garlic butter, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the kale begins to soften - about 2-3 minutes.
1 medium bunch Tuscan kale
Pour the heavy cream into the kale, and stir to combine well. Reduce the heat to medium, and let the kale simmer in the cream for 2-3 minutes.
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
Add the cooked pasta to the kale mixture, along with the lemon zest and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine well.
Zest of 1 lemon, ½ cup grated Parmesan
Add a bit of pasta water, splash by splash, to loosen the sauce up until it has reached the desired consistency. I find that 2-3 Tablespoons is usually enough.
Serve hot, with extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes for garnish.

Notes

Nutrition values are an estimate only
If you're using dried pasta rather than fresh, reduce the amount to 10 ounces before cooking.
Don't forget to save your pasta water! We used it for loosing up the cream sauce, and since the pasta water is salted it adds flavor as well.

Nutrition