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!
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!
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.