Go Green Healthy Pasta Recipe With Kale Sauce (5 Ingredients, 20 Minutes) by Jan Mostrom

I’m always trying to incorporate more vegetables into my meals. This easy, healthy pasta recipe with kale sauce makes it so easy to do! The bright green color is so vibrant and the taste is so simple and delicious. We ate this Italian-inspired recipe as a vegetarian main for dinner, but it also makes a great side dish with your favorite protein.

To make this green pasta recipe, you will need just five simple ingredients. Here is your wholesome shopping list: extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic (check out the health benefits of garlic), lacinato kale (kale is loaded with health benefits), pasta and Parmesan cheese. The dish is ready for the table in about 20 minutes.

Serve this vegetarian pasta dish for lunch or for dinner. If you're serving it as a side dish, it's delicious with roasted chicken, seafood, beef or pork.

Cuisine: American / Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 (main dish) or 4 (side dish)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed flat and peeled
• 1 pound lacinato kale, thick ribs removed
• 8 ounces pasta (rigatoni, penne or what you have on hand)
• 3/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

Recipe Notes

• For some spice, add or serve with crushed red pepper flakes.

• You could use spinach or your favorite greens in place of kale.
  

• For a vegan dinner, use vegan Parmesan cheese. For a gluten-free dinner, use gluten-free pasta.

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave.

Here's how to make it: 

1. Place a large pot of water on the stove on high to boil with a large pinch of salt. While the water boils, put a small skillet on the stove on medium with the olive oil. Heat for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the smashed garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until it's golden brown, flipping over the cloves halfway through. Remove from heat when done.
   
   
2. When the pasta water boils, add the kale leaves and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are bright green but not overcooked and mushy.
   
3. When they are finished, use tongs to remove them from the water and put them right into a blender. (Save the water to boil the pasta.)
   
4. Bring the water back to a boil. Add the garlic and oil into the blender with the kale. Add a tablespoon or two of the pasta water and blend until smooth. Use more pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to thin the sauce to the desired thickness. Taste and add salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired, to taste.
   
   
5. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to al dente. When pasta is finished, save 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
   
   
6. Transfer the pasta to a medium bowl. Add the kale sauce and 3/4 cup of Parmesan. Mix, adding pasta water, if needed, to thin. Taste and add more salt, pepper and/or crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
   
   
7. Serve immediately in bowls topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more Parmesan cheese.
   

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