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Made with only a few simple ingredients, this recipe for Kale Pasta is hearty, wholesome, and incredibly simple to make, while still being surprisingly full of flavor.
Whether you are looking for more cheap and easy vegan dinner recipes, a way to incorporate more greens into your diet, or just a tasty pasta dinner, you will love this recipe for pasta with kale.
Reasons to Love Kale Pasta
- Incredibly Flavorful Pasta Recipe. With vibrant greens, creamy chickpeas, and a bright light sauce, kale pasta sings with flavor.
- Easy Dinner Recipe. Just like my recipe for Pesto Pasta, Kale Pasta is made with simple ingredients in under 30 minutes, yet delivers intense flavor.
- Picky-Eater Approved. If you think you don't like kale, this may be the recipe to change that. The magic of this kale pasta is that the greens absorb the flavor of the wine and seasonings, and become tender and flavorful.
- Adaptable Recipe. This recipe is not only easy to make it is also versatile, as the ingredients can be swapped out to use what you have on hand.
- Allergy-Friendly. This Kale Pasta is dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, and can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
Ingredients for Kale Pasta
- Pasta: You can use any type of noodle you have in your pantry for this recipe. Whole grain, regular, and even gluten-free pasta works!
- Kale: Remove the stems and ribs of the kale and then chop them into bite-size pieces. Fresh kale is best, but you can use defrosted and drained frozen kale if that is all you have on hand.
- Chickpeas: The chickpeas add protein, texture, and heartiness to this pasta dish, but can be omitted or swapped out for cannellini beans.
- Wine: To add a rich depth of flavor, I love using a bit of dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. If you don't have wine on hand, use additional stock.
- Lemon Juice: Be sure to use fresh lemon juice, as the acidity from the lemon juice helps the entire dish to pop. If you only have jarred lemon juice, skip adding the juice entirely, as the flavor is not the same.
How to Make the Best Kale Pasta
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Cook the Pasta in Heavily Salted Water
The pasta will get some of its flavors from the water, so it is essential to heavily salt the boiling water before adding your pasta. Cook the pasta, until just al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes LESS than the package states, as it will finish cooking with the kale and chickpeas.
Saute the Kale
Kale is quite bitter and sturdy, so needs to be cooked down with seasonings to develop flavor. For this kale pasta, sauté the kale with dry white wine, vegetable broth, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. The kale becomes tender, flavorful, and delicious! Once the kale is wilted, add in garlic and chickpeas and warm through before adding the pasta.
Finish with Lemon
Add the cooked pasta, reserved cooking liquid to the sauté pan with the kale and chickpeas. Once combined, remove from the heat and add lemon juice to really make the flavors pop.
Recipe Modifications
- Spice Level: Omit the crushed red pepper flakes for less heat, or increase if you like it spicier.
- No kale? Use spinach or raw florets of broccoli in place of the kale.
- Oil-Free Option: In place of olive oil, use a couple of tablespoons of vegetable broth to sauté the garlic and kale. As the garlic and kale sauté, you may need to add a bit more broth as the stock evaporates.
- Broth: Feel free to use chicken stock instead of vegetable broth if you are not vegetarian.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Pasta with Kale for a quick and hearty lunch or alongside Homemade Italian Bread paired with Bread Dipping Oil and a Kale Apple Salad, for an easy, yet impressive family dinner.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Store leftover cooled pasta in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Because pasta can easily dry out after being refrigerated, I recommend adding a splash of broth or water to the pasta before heating it. Transfer the pasta to a heat-safe bowl, cover it with a damp paper towel, and reheat in 30-second intervals in the microwave until warmed through.
More Simple Pasta Recipes
- Tuscan White Bean Pasta
- Vegetable Primavera
- Easy Baked Rotini
- Slow Cooker Baked Ziti
- Pasta Puttanesca
- Pasta with Peas
- Pesto Pasta
If you tried this recipe, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Kale Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 bunch raw kale, stems removed and chopped (about 6 cups)
- 8 ounces Orecchiette pasta, or past of choice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided--see notes to make this oil free
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup dry white wine, or additional vegetable stock
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (15 ounce can) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Heavily salt with kosher salt and add in pasta. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the package directions state. When pasta has finished cooking, drain pasta, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid. DO NOT RINSE the pasta!
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale and saute for 3-4 minutes, until it begins to wilt down. If it does not fit in the pot all at once, add by gradual handfuls, stir, and allow it to wilt down, then add more. Once all of the kale is added and has wilted down, add the garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper; cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the wine and chickpeas to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated off.
- Add in the vegetable broth, ¼ cup reserved pasta water, and cooked pasta, tossing to combine. Cook until the pasta is finished cooking and the pasta absorbs most of the liquid, adding up to ¼ cup more pasta water if needed as it finishes cooking.
- Turn off the heat and finish with the fresh lemon juice, additional tablespoon of olive oil, and Parmesan if using.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I FIND KALE BY ITSELF ISN'T TOO TASTY , BUT ADD TO THIS RECIPE MAN THIS CAME OUT GREAT KRISTEN. LOVE THE STUFF. WON'T TALK BAD ABOUT KALE AGAIN, NOT WHEN I PUT IT IN THIS PASTA RECIPE... THANKS KRISTEN
You are welcome. It is a great way to dress up kale.