I didn’t find out about National Kale Day until after the fact, but seeing pictures of delicious kale recipes all day made me really crave kale bad. What’s the fastest, easiest fix? Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta! This one is SO easy and SO satisfying, guys!
See this recipe used in my weekly meal prep.
Use Whole Wheat Pasta for Extra “Nutty” Flavor
Whole wheat pasta with kale may sound like the most boring, torturous diet meal of all time, but when you lace them with garlic, parmesan, and a little butter, they take on a whole new personality. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if you’re feeling sassy and it’s like pasta heaven.
Sometimes whole wheat angel hair is hard to find, though, in which case you can just use regular. Either way, I do suggest using angel hair pasta rather than other shapes because I find that the thin texture really balances the mouthfeel of the dish.
Use a Different Vegetable
Not a fan of kale? No problem! I use this pasta-butter-Parmesan combo with all sorts of other vegetables. Spinach is great, but so is broccoli (see Bowties and Broccoli), or sautéed mushrooms. If you have leftover roasted vegetables, toss them in there. :)
How to Serve Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta
This Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta recipe makes four side dish-sized servings, but you can bulk it up and make it a meal by adding a chopped hard-boiled egg or a fried egg, adding some chopped fresh tomatoes (or sun-dried), or even crumbling some bacon over top. I also love topping it with my Garlic Marinated Chicken, cut into strips. This is just a starting point and it can go in about a million different directions. Have fun with it!
Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 bunch 1/2 lb kale ($1.69)
- 1/2 lb angel hair pasta* ($0.50)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.27)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.41)
- Pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional) ($0.03)
Instructions
- Pull the kale leaves from the woody stems and tear them into small 1 to 2-inch pieces. Rinse the torn kale well in a colander under cool, running water and allow it to drain.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Break the pasta in half, add it to the boiling water, and cook until al dente (about 7 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil, butter, and minced garlic to another large pot or skillet. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the kale and continue to sauté until the kale has wilted and has turned a deep green color (about 5-7 minutes). Turn the heat off.
- Add the drained pasta to the pot with the sautéed kale. Toss the pasta and kale together. Allow them to cool to the point that steam is no longer rising from the pot. You want the pasta warm, but not hot enough to melt the Parmesan.
- Season the pasta and kale with salt and freshly cracked pepper to your liking. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and toss to coat. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes over top if desired.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Video
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Pull the leaves from the woody stems of one bunch of kale (about 1/2 lb.). Tear the leaves into 1 to 2-inch pieces as you go. You can also use bagged, pre-chopped kale, if desired.
Place the kale in a colander and rinse well with cool running water. Allow the kale to drain.
Begin cooking 1/2 pound angel hair pasta according to the package directions. You’ll want to get the pasta going first because the rest of the dish will be finished cooking in the time that it takes the pasta to boil. Breaking the pasta in half before boiling makes it MUCH easier to mix in with other ingredients when it’s slightly shorter (it still looks just like long pasta once mixed).
Add 2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp oil, and 2 cloves minced garlic to a large pot or skillet. I like to us a pot with tall sides so that the kale doesn’t spill out as I try to stir it. Sauté the garlic over medium heat for a couple minutes, or just until it becomes soft and really fragrant (it should smell like the best garlic bread you’ve ever laid your nostrils on).
Add the kale and continue to sauté until the kale wilts down and is a really beautiful deep jade green. When I first put the kale in the pot it pretty much filled it up to the top, but it wilts down pretty quickly. This was after about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off after it’s wilted.
By now your pasta has finished cooking and you can let it drain in a colander. Let it cool for just a minute., then add it to the pot with the kale and toss them together. Let them rest for a few minutes here until it cools to the point where no steam is coming off of the pasta. You want the pasta to be warm, but not so hot that the Parmesan melts into it and disappears. Use this time to season the pasta and kale with salt and pepper. I just sprinkle some on as if it was my dinner plate, give it a toss, taste, then add more if needed.
Finally, add the grated parmesan and toss to coat. You can add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta if you want a little kick, too.
I went ahead and made the Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta into a meal by topping it with a fried egg because that’s how I roll. A diced hard boiled egg would also be awesome. And maybe some sriracha.
So delicious and simple!
I substituted black soybean spaghetti instead of using whole wheat because that’s what I had on hand, and I love this recipe! It’s simple, quick, and delicious. I’m not much of a cook, so I was a little nervous to cook this, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover how easy it was. Now I have some yummy leftovers to enjoy with my family.
Oh and I also used grated cheddar instead of parmesan (because that’s what I had.)
So easy and delicious. The egg on top made it a great meal.
Add some cooked chickPeas. Massaging kale can make it more tasty to newbies., garlic olive oil & lemon is a tasty option.
Quick, easy and tasty! I used non dairy parmesan.
Good pantry staple!!!! used it during the COVID quarantine!! added chicken and egg + sriracha (Beth was right, this is AMAZING add on )
Ok this is bomb on its own, HOWEVER, i pulled a Beth and topped it with a fried egg and some sriracha and hoooooooly cow. Fantastic, filling, CHEAP meal!!
Delish! I ate this three nights in a row this week and didn’t get tired of it at all. I know I’m late to the game but I’m falling in love with kale. I used whole what pasta per Beth’s suggestion and topped with some medium sautéed shrimp (Beth noted that the recipe is flexible and you can get creative) . Definitely a “go to” meal!
Yum! Happy to hear it Barbara!
Can you substitute the Kale with Spinach?
Yes most definitely!
For some reason I’ve never been able to enjoy simple pasta without a heavy sauce before. This is the recipe that finally made it a reality for me! I made it a meal by adding a juicy steak on the side (a treat meal, obviously). It was so delicious and easy to make. Pepper and parmesan and olive oil are perfect together.
My only question… Why did you cross out Sriracha as a garnish option? I eat Sriracha with almost anything, so I added a spoonful and mixed it into the pasta and it was delicious!
LOL, I’m not sure why that last part was crossed out! My only guess is that over the years moving the website from system to system some extra code got added in somehow?
I love to make this dish. I often add half a can of chopped or mashed anchovies with its oil to the butter and garlic before adding the kale. Just a note to also keep a little of the pasta water to add back in if needed. It’s an eady and quick meal. It can also be made with any extra greens you might have like the dark lettuce leaves. or skip the greens and add chopped cherry or sun-dried tomatoes.
Inexpensive, quick, nutritious and tasty! What more could you want?
Recipe is good but how in the heck is this the cost?
Ingredient costs can vary a lot from day to day and location to location, so it’s really meant to be an example of how different ingredients can affect the total cost of your recipes more or less. I use the method used by commercial food service operations, which calculates only the cost of the amount of the ingredient used. Here is a tutorial on how to calculate recipe costs. I encourage you to give it a try at home at least once because it can be very insightful!
This is so simple as so good! I’m just starting to try things beyond spinach, and I have resisted kale for years because when I was a waitress 15 years ago we would always use kale as a garnish on every plate. No one would ever dream of eating it! Even though I haven’t tried a raw kale salad, I really love it sauteed! This is so delicious. I topped it with some homemade turkey meatballs.
I’m so glad you’ve found a way to love kale! :D
Hands down the best pasta dish I’ve ever made! Recipe is easy to follow too. All the flavors came out so well. I added finely diced onions with the garlic for the flavor. I also added pieces of turkey sausage coz I like a little meat here and there…but on the whole, this recipe is a keeper!
I just love this dish. I added jalapeño , red onions and yellow sweet onion dice up and cherry tomatoes cut half.