Creamy Kale And Pasta Bake Recipes

CREAMY KALE PASTA

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Pulse all sauce ingredients together until mostly smooth. (The sauce will be very salty. That's okay, it'll tone down once it mixes with everything.)
• Prep the pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Cook down the kale: While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic; sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the kale; sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine, water, or broth; let it sizzle out for a minute.
• Finish: Add drained, cooked pasta and sauce. Toss to combine. Season to taste with Parmesan, lemon, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Fast, easy, yum.

CREAMY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH KALE AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
• Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms are lightly browned in spots and softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the kale, garlic and 1/2 cup of water, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Cook until the kale is wilted but still crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
• Carefully wipe out the saucepan (or give it a quick rinse if it is really dirty). Add the half-and-half and cayenne and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the macaroni and reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (The mixture will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Gently fold in the reserved vegetables. Season to taste with additional salt if needed. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the bread crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and a large pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.

FALL KALE AND SAUSAGE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Spray a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or metal baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil in the pan, then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown at the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is very aromatic, another minute. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling into small chunks with the back of a wooden spoon, until browned all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup pasta water to the pan and scrape up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the heavy cream and cook, stirring frequently, until it comes to a simmer. Stir in the kale, then cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted and tender and the heavy cream has thickened, another 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the nutmeg and about 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper on the kale (taste here, as your sausage might have different seasonings). Remove from the heat and stir in the ricotta until just combined, followed by 1/4 cup each of the fontina and mozzarella. Add the pasta and stir until it is coated in sauce and the cheese starts to melt, adding pasta water if the mixture seems too thick. Taste and season with a little more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top it with the remaining 1/4 cup fontina, 1/4 cup mozzarella and the Parmesan. Broil the pasta until the cheese is brown and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

CREAMY KALE AND PASTA WITH SWEET SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook gemelli at a boil, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add tomato, onion, and garlic; saute for 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze browned bits. Add kale and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• While kale is cooking, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, and drain pasta. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, for 1 minute. Pour in milk slowly while whisking vigorously to smooth lumps. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until mixture begins to bubble and thicken, 7 to 10 minutes. Add reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency as needed. Remove sauce from heat.
• Pour sauce into sausage mixture, add drained pasta, and toss to evenly coat. Serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese.

CREAMY KALE AND CHICKEN SAUSAGE PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook radiatori in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 to 12 minutes. Strain pasta from water (do NOT drain water). Place kale in the boiling water. Blanch for about 1 minute. Drain off water.
• Immediately drop kale in a bowl with ice water to stop the cooking. Drain off water, squeeze out excess liquid, and roughly chop. Set aside.
• Cut sausage into thin discs and sear in a pan over medium-high heat. Remove sausage discs and set aside.
• Pour olive oil into the same pan and add mushrooms, diced onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms have softened and onions are slightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chopped kale, sausage, marinara sauce, and chicken broth to the pan. Mix in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Simmer sauce down to your desired thickness if you like.
• Divide radiatori amongst serving bowls, and top with tomato sauce.

CREAMY PESTO & KALE PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Fry the onions for 10 mins until softened and beginning to caramelise. Add the kale and 100ml water, then cover and cook for 5 mins more, or until the kale has wilted.
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the onion mixture, cream cheese and pesto, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Season.