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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
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!
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!