When in doubt, pasta + Parmesan + vegetable = a really good meal. For this version of that quick dinner classic, I added some mushrooms for extra umami, garlic because you gotta have garlic, and a heap of freshly cracked pepper (because I saw some parmesan & black pepper popcorn at the store it made my mouth water). I’ve already eaten half the pot of this Parmesan & Pepper Kale Pasta, if that says anything about how well it turned out.
Good. It turned out really good. But, I have yet to fail when using that “pasta + Parmesan + vegetable” formula. Works every time!
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I can’t help it. I’ll probably put a soft boiled egg on top of a bowl of this tomorrow morning for breakfast. #eggaddict
Parmesan & Pepper Kale Pasta
Servings 4 (1.5 cups each)Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.20)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 8 oz button mushrooms ($1.99)
- 1 bunch kale (curly or lacinato) ($1.89)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth ($0.06)
- 1/2 lb pasta (any shape) ($0.75)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan ($0.71)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.15)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and slice the mushrooms. Place the butter, garlic, and mushrooms in a large pot and sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they are soft and dark (about 5 minutes).
- While the mushrooms are sautéing, tear or cut the kale leaves from the stems, then chop them into small pieces. Rinse the kale well.
- Add the kale to the pot along with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Stir the kale as it cooks until it is fully wilted. Let the wilted kale simmer in the broth without a lid over medium heat until most of the broth has evaporated (about 10 minutes).
- While the kale is simmering, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente (7-10 minutes). Drain the pasta and let it cool slightly, or until it looks a little dry and tacky in texture.
- Remove the pot with the kale and mushrooms from the heat. Add the pasta and stir to combine. The pot should be warm, but not steaming hot. If it’s still steaming, let it cool for about 5 minutes.* Once slightly cooled, add 1/2 tsp salt, about 20 cranks of a pepper mill (or more if desired), and the grated Parmesan. Stir until all the pasta and vegetables are coated in Parmesan and pepper. Taste the pasta and add more salt or pepper if needed.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Parmesan & Pepper Kale Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Start by slicing an 8 oz. package of mushrooms and mincing two cloves of garlic. Add the mushrooms and garlic to a large pot along with 2 Tbsp of butter.
Sauté the mushrooms and garlic over medium heat until they are soft and dark (about 5 minutes).
While the mushrooms are cooking, remove the stems from one bunch of kale. You can either just pull the leafy parts from the woody stems, or take a knife and run it along the side of each stem. Once the stem is removed, chop or tear the kale into smaller pieces.
Rinse the kale really well because a lot of dirt and debris (and maybe bugs??) can hide in those curly leaves. You don’t have to worry about waiting for it to dry.
Add the cleaned kale leaves to the pot along with a half cup of chicken broth. This is why I love Better Than Bouillon. You can mix up EXACTLY the amount you need, whenever you need it. It comes in low sodium and organic, too, if you were wondering (not a paid product mention!).
Cook and stir the kale until it wilts down, then let it simmer in the broth until most of the broth has evaporated away (about 10 minutes). Remove it from the heat and let it cool a little. While the kale is simmering away, cook a 1/2 lb. of pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes). Drain the pasta well and let it cool slightly. Wait until it gets a little tacky and dry in the surface.
Letting the pasta and the pot cool just slightly is really important. If it’s still steaming hot when you add the Parmesan, the Parmesan will melt and stick to the bottom of the pot rather than coating the pasta in flavorful little granules. It’s okay for the pasta to still be warm, just make sure it’s not still steaming. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, and a good healthy dose of freshly cracked pepper (20 cranks of a mill or more). Stir the pot until everything is coated in Parmesan and pepper. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Never fails!
This is great tasting and quick. I used spinach since we were out of kale and a squeeze of lemon that I read about in the comments. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch, thanks!
This is, hands down, one of my favorite recipes and has been for years! I’ve been coming here for budget friendly recipes for 9+ years and don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. Just wanted to say thanks Beth! :)
Did the egg thing on top for breakfast and :-) :-) :-)
So so so good.
Super easy and very good. I used about half the amount of cheese because I don’t like a strong cheese flavor. I also added extra pepper and salt, red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end. Yum!
Also added red bell pepper.
A bit of lemon is always a great topper!
I did it without the mushrooms. Came out great! Had to stop myself from eating the whole pot. I’ll definitely make this again.
Hi Beth. I love your one pot pasta dishes and am wondering how this may be adapted to that. I’m thinking I can briefly sautéed the kale and then add the pasta and broth but am wondering how to deal with the mushrooms and keep them flavorful. Any thoughts?
I think I’d just leave them in there while everything simmers, but if you’re worried about the flavor getting diluted, you can always sauté them first before the kale, remove the mushrooms, then move forward with the recipe and add the mushrooms back in at the end. :)
SO GOOD!!! I added a splash of lime juice after I added the pasta/salt/pepper, and before the cheese, and that really brought the flavors together!!
This was absolutely delicious! Turned out really well, and the instructions were easy to follows. I ended up adding spinach to mine in addition to the kale. Word of caution: definitely pepper it to your taste.
This was awesome! I used 1/4 c. chicken broth (better than bouillon is the best!) and 1/4 c. white wine in mine. Even my husband who is usually wary of meatless dishes loved it! Thanks!
Beth, Can I sub frozen when ingredients listed call for fresh kale? or will results be not as good? BTW, I am a huge fan of yours! Went vegetarian approx. 1 year ago and your site has helped immensely! I work long shifts at hospital and am pooped when I get home, but am actually ENJOYING cooking again thanks to you! Can’t sing your praises enough and recommend you to all who will listen (: THANK-YOU!
Whether or not you can use frozen really depends on the recipe, so just ask when you’re curious and I’ll try to answer ASAP. :) You’ll get the hang of it after a while. You could probably use frozen for this one since you’re cooking it down until it’s limp anyway (frozen kale will be limp once thawed).
I made this as is and OH MY GOSH, so good!! I will be making this over and over again. The kale ends up absorbing so much flavor. I have been trying many of your recipes with parmesan but this is my new favorite :)
It was really good! We added Italian,Garlic seasoning. Also add white creme sauce. Made it really good!! We will make it again!!
I made this the other day, and it is a keeper. NOTE: I am not a fan of butter, so I swapped it out for EVOO. I also added a good pinch of crushed red pepper with the garlic and mushrooms while they were cooking. VERY TASTY! I will definitely make this again for a quick vegetarian dinner or as a side dish with a protein.
Just made this again last night with thawed out broccoli that I chopped up, and added extra garlic. SO GOOD and easy to swap out depending on what veggie you have on hand! KEEPER!!!
Hi there! This looks delicious. I’m interested in making this for a vegetarian audience, can I substitute the chicken broth for a vegetable broth? And if so, do you have any recommendations for vegetable broths?
I think you could get away with that. In my personal taste, the chicken definitely “goes” better, but I think the veg broth would also be decent. I like to use Better Than Bouillon soup base for my broths because the price is great, the flavor is good, you can mix it up in any quantity, and it stays good for just about forever in your fridge (the concentrate, not the prepared broth).
Was going to ask this same question! I am not vegetarian, but I happen to be out of chicken broth/bullion at the moment, but have a surprising amount of vegetable.
Great, simple, quick weeknight dish! Also, great way to use up some of the kale I have growing in the garden!
Top marks for this recipe. Tastes superb. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
This was fantastic! I’m always looking for ways to get my picky hubby to eat vegetables, and he loved the kale. (He doesn’t like mushrooms, so I omitted them and simply sauteed the garlic for a minute or so before adding the kale.) We both loved this dish, and it really couldn’t be easier to make. The tip to let things cool for a few minutes before adding cheese was really helpful.
I made it with crusted halibut, but it’s so neutral in flavor that it would go with almost any protein. It’ll definitely be in our monthly rotation for sure. Thanks, Beth!
I’ve made this recipe twice now for my fiance and myself, and we’ve loved it both times! I can’t find regular kale at my grocery store, so I just buy a huge bag of chopped curly kale at Aldi and guestimate the amount in one bunch (haven’t gotten the ratios wrong yet!). The first time we used bow tie pasta, but this time we used some refrigerated cheese tortellini for a little more substance instead. It was also great, and one bowl of this stuff filled me up fast. So yummy and easy too!
I made this and the blackberry sage pork chops. They went together perfectly and was a big hit. Everyone wanted the recipe. Thank you for the yummy recipes that are affordable.
Hi
I have never seen kale here, in Mexico. Can i replace the kale with something else such as broccoli, maybe?
Yes, absolutely. This recipe is great with just about any vegetable. :)
This was really tasty! I don’t think it’s substantial enough on it’s own, but it has great flavor. I was lazy and used frozen kale, so I won’t rate it until I have properly tried it. Money was really tight last week and this got me through!
Made this dish last night!
TOTALLY
AWESOME!
Also very easy and fast! Tastes restaurant quality
Oh – also added a splash of good white wine with the chicken broth.
This was amazing and easy. I added cannellini beans and some sliced cherry tomatoes. Delicious!
Eating this right now! I’ve been a kale skeptic but this recipe turned me into a believer. Just the right mix of flavors and textures.
I am going to make this as a combination recipe with your portobello parmesean orzo (because i have orzo). And because that was the first recipe that brought me to your website, and the first one I cooked. Since then, I type in budgetbytes.com into my browser every morning before i even check my email. Love your site, Beth!! Thank you!
This was so good that my 16 year old didn’t even notice (or complain about) the whole grain pasta that I used.
This was delicious! I used spinach instead of kale and added some frozen onions to the garlic/mushroom saute. Will definitely make this again!
Hi Beth! Novice cook on a budget alert! I found your website and want to make everything. Today. I recently started cooking and feel dumb for asking this but I know you suggested an onion in place of the mushrooms but how would broccoli work in place of the mushrooms? I read up on how to cook broccoli but not sure in this recipe. Any help would be so appreciated thank you!
The beauty of this recipe is that you could really use any vegetable that you like. :) I do a version with broccoli all the time. It might be a little too much rough green if you do broccoli and kale together, but broccoli is great with pasta and parmesan. Vegetables + pasta + parmesan is always a good mix! :)
This looks so delicious! Anything with pasta, greens, and mushrooms has my name on it. Pinned and shared!
Ooh, I bet a bit of fresh lemon zest would make a great addition to this (it reminds me of a dish I had from Blue Apron)
This looks amazing! I’ll be trying this very soon on our dinner menu!
Hi Beth. First of all, this was delicious! Second, I shop at Trader Joe’s, and have recently been using My Fitness Pal to help get in shape. It’s always been my impression that most (definitely not all) foods at Trader Joe’s are healthier than the average store– and I’ve been finding this is especially true for the Chicken Broth. One cup has 5 calories. So when I make some of your meals, like this one– I end up with approx. 190 calories per serving! That seems crazy low to me for a dinner recipe, are you aware of any discrepancies with Trader Joe’s nutritional info, or are my choice in ingredients really saving me all of these calories?
I haven’t heard anything about problems with their nutritional info. :) Chicken broth (or any broth) typically doesn’t have many calories, unless it’s particularly fatty (but most have the fat skimmed off before packaging anyway). Most of the calories in this recipe will be from the pasta and Parmesan. The biggest mistake that people make when calculating recipe calories is not noticing whether an ingredient is cooked or dry. 2 cups of dry pasta will have WAY more calories than 2 cups of cooked pasta, so you just have to be careful with things like that.
My sister and I made this the other night. Delish!
We added white wine to the kale/mushroom mixture. It would also be good with a smokey-type meat. Smoked bacon (chopped), or smoked salmon.
I’ve decided to make this next week when I’ll be getting some kale and mushrooms in my Farm Fresh to You box (organic produce). But I’ll use box broth, because I already have it in my pantry. Thanks for the yummy recipes, Beth! I check your website every morning for new ones.
I usually don’t modify your recipes even a little bit because they are perfect, but I’m trying to get a little more protein as I don’t eat meat — do you think I could add a can of chickpeas to this? Would I need to modify anything to stretch the flavor, or does it makes enough “sauce” to add beans?
It doesn’t really make a sauce, but if you add chickpeas you might want to add more parmesan to make sure everything is covered. The liquid in the recipe just helps the kale soften, but most of it gets evaporated away. :)
chiming in to say we have a near identical meal in heavy rotation at our house, but we add a couple cups of cooked cannellini beans for protein.
This looks SO good! Thanks for sharing your recipe and that wonderful equation for a really good meal.
I use Better Than Bouillon, too. It really is the best. Love the combo of pepper, Parmesan, and Kale. :)
My 82-year-old mother has always loved kale. She once asked her granmother why they waited until after the first frost to harvest it. Gammy replied, “I don’t know. Maybe it kills the bugs?” (Your bug comment reminded me of the story. I think the real reason has to do with sugars in the plant.) Anyway, this looks really, really yummy.
*OFF-TOPIC: Beth, I was watching iZombie last night and thought of YOU when she started pouring the Sriracha all over her ramen and BRAINS! :D
Hahahahah maybe I need to watch that show. :P
What other vegetables might you recommend to substitute the mushrooms for? The recipe looks good but I’m not a fan of mushrooms!
I’d either just leave them out or maybe sauté an onion. That’s a tough one!
Great recipe! I like to add some fresh lemon juice too!
This is random but radiatori are one of my favorite pasta shapes… and I’m super excited because when I went to the grocery store today, DaVinci (the only brand that has radiatori and bucatini at my store) was on sale so I’m fully stocked now!! Anyway, this meal looks amazing/right up my alley (pasta + veg + cheese was absolutely my meal template when I was single… unfortunately bf is a bit more of a meat eater). I also wanted to let you know I’m a Better Than Bouillon convert because of you… started using it a year or two ago and never looked back. So easy to store and so much less waste (and let’s be real, I was never going to get around to making my own stock)!!
Mine was DaVinci, too! I love all their pasta shapes. :)
I am in Canada and can never find neat shapes! Perhaps I should make a trip to the Italian grocery store? lol This pasta looks delish. I will look for DaVinci!
Or check online retailers! :)
My goodness Beth, this looks DELISH and super easy!
My hubs and I been talking about kale (we just joined a CSA farm so we’ll have a greater variety of produce in short order)…this looks like a easy one to try :) We could do it as the side for pork chops, or kielbasa or we could grill chicken and toss it in (or eat it on the side) feels like there’d be a lot of good options with this :)
Looks like a great combination – and the perfect opportunity for me to try cooking with Kale. Thanks for the inspiration!
I always am amazed at people who have given up pasta for good! I couldn’t do it!! With Parm, mushrooms, garlic and veggies, that’s my love language right there. You make it look so easy though in the photo’s, easy and cheap. Thanks for the inspiration!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your recipes! tried a lot of them! Is there any way you can also post your grocery shopping lists of the week so that we can track what meals we can make out of them? Basically a meal plan!
I kind of did that for my SNAP challenge series, but I don’t plan that much on a regular basis. :)
I’m going to try this next week, but replace the parm with goat cheese. A bit better for the lactose intolerant.
Pasta+Parmesan+Vegetable sounds like a plan to me. Gotta try this! It looks yummy.