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!
1bunchkalestems removed and leaves roughly chopped/torn
½cupfreshly 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.