Pasta With Creamy Kale Sauce Recipes

KALE-SAUCE PASTA

Steps:

• Put a large pot of generously salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil. In a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic, and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to low, and cook very gently until garlic is soft and begins to turn light gold, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• When water is boiling, add kale leaves, and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Pull out the hot, dripping kale leaves with tongs, and put directly into a blender. (Don't drain the pot; you'll use that same boiling water to cook the pasta.) Add garlic and its oil to the blender, along with a splash of hot water from the pot if you need some more liquid to get the blender going. Blend into a fine, thick green purée. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then blend again.
• Add the pasta to the still-boiling water, and cook according to directions on the package. Ladle out about a cup of the water to save for finishing the dish, then drain the pasta and return it to the dry pot. Add the kale purée, about 3/4 of the grated cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss until all the pasta is well coated and bright green, adding another splash of pasta water if needed so that the sauce is loose and almost creamy in texture. Serve in bowls right away, and top with an extra drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the grated cheese.

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 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.

WHOLE-WHEAT TAGLIATELLE WITH CREAMY WHITE-BEAN AND KALE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant and golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until light golden, about 1 minute. Add kale and cook, tossing, until bright green, about 1 minute. Scrape mixture into a blender (reserve skillet). Add 1 cup water, beans, and lemon juice to blender; purée until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Season with salt.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, 1 minute less than package instructions. Drain.
• Pour blended kale sauce back into skillet and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Add pasta and cook, tossing, until coated and sauce has thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes more. (If sauce thickens too much, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Season with salt and pepper.
• In a bowl, combine cheese, parsley, toasted almonds, and lemon zest. Sprinkle half of cheese mixture over pasta and serve remainder on the side. Drizzle pasta with more oil and serve.