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creamy kale pasta in a serving bowl on a napkin next to ingredients on a counter
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Creamy Kale Pasta

This delicious vegetarian kale pasta recipe is coated in a luscious garlic lemon cream sauce. Plus, it comes together in less than 30 minutes for a cozy dinner!
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 441kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dried tagliatelle can sub fettuccine or any other pasta
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1 cup half and half can sub heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice from ½ lemon; use a whole lemon for more flavor
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup vegetable broth
  • 1 bunch kale stems removed and leaves roughly chopped/torn
  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve one or more cups of pasta water.
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring frequently to avoid burning the garlic. Stir in the flour, quickly followed by the half and half and lemon juice. Stir and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and torn kale to the pan, and cook in the sauce for 3 to 5 minutes until the kale is wilted. At this moment, if the pasta has been drained and you have the reserved pasta water ready, add a few splashes of pasta water to the skillet to thin the sauce. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.
  • Drain and return the pasta to its pot, then pour the kale and cream sauce over the noodles. (If you have room in your skillet, you can also add the noodles to the kale and sauce there.) Stir until coated, adding more pasta water as desired to thin the sauce. Stir in the parmesan cheese before serving!

Notes

  • For more protein, add white beans or shredded chicken. If you want more sauce, double the garlic, flour, half and half, and lemon juice.
  • This dish tastes best when served right away, but leftovers will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with a few drizzles of olive oil until warmed through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3636IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 277mg | Iron: 2mg