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Creamy kale pasta is an umami powerhouse with lots to recommend it. Don’t miss this comforting, flavorful meal that also happens to be absolutely jam-packed with leafy greens.
Why we love this recipe
This savory take on creamy kale pasta originally came together on a chilly winter night, without so much as a plan. Pulling ingredients from the fridge and pantry turned into something really special, and we’ve made it many times since. This pasta is:
- Savory
- Briny
- Garlicky
- Lemony
- Creamy
- And, by the by, boasts two whole salads’ worth of kale
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- You can use a flat or curly variety of kale, whichever you prefer or have on hand. Kale is sweetest in the wintertime after a frost, so this comforting spaghetti recipe makes an especially great midwinter meal.
- You can use any shape of pasta, too. Spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, ziti, rigatoni, farfalle, and rotini all spring to mind immediately. But again, use what you’ve got.
- I love the sharp, salty bite of pecorino, but a good parmesan will work instead if you like.
- I tend to keep brined capers in the pantry, but salt-packed ones would also work. Alternatively, chopped briny green or black oil-cured olives would be great.
- Yukon gold or a similar yellow-fleshed potato will hold its shape well while getting creamy and tender.
How to make it
Here’s what you’ll do to make a great pot of creamy kale pasta. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll sauté the garlic, shallot, and potato in the olive oil until lightly browned.
- Add the capers and cream, pop the lid on, and simmer gently until potatoes are just tender. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted water.
- Add the kale to the pan with the potatoes, along with a bit of the starchy pasta cooking water. It’ll look like a whole lot of kale at first. Cover and continue cooking until wilted and tender.
- Add cooked pasta, lemon juice, pecorino, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well with tongs and serve.
Expert tips and FAQs
Absolutely. Any cooking green, from collards to turnip or mustard greens to baby spinach can work — alone or in combination. Some will need a little longer to cook than others.
Like most pasta, this dish is at its best shortly after it’s ready. Don’t go out of your way to make it in advance. On the flip side, leftovers are as good as any leftover pasta can be (i.e. damn good), so feel free to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
More favorite veggie-packed pastas
- Stuffed shells with spinach and shiitakes
- Disappearing zucchini orzo
- Farfalle with sopressata and ramps
- Tortellini with spinach and cherry tomatoes
- Pasta with pesto, grilled salmon, and corn
- Spaghetti with cauliflower, shiitakes, and chickpeas
- Spinach lasagna with portobellos
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Creamy Kale Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 large yukon gold potato, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- ¼ cup (35 grams) capers
- ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream
- 1 pound (454 grams) spaghetti
- 2 bunches, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds (454 to 680 grams) lacinato or green curly kale
- Juice of 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons/(45 ml)
- ½ cup (45 grams) grated Pecorino Romano
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Set a spaghetti pot half filled with well-salted water on the stove to boil.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a deep 12-inch frying pan that has a lid (which you’ll use later). Add the garlic, shallot and potato along with a good sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is golden brown in spots but without a hint of burning.
- Add the capers and the cream. Adjust heat so the cream is bubbling gently, pop a lid on it, and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.
- While the potatoes cook, boil the spaghetti until al dente and drain, reserving 1/4 cup starchy cooking liquid.
- Meanwhile, strip the kale leaves from their stems and tear the leaves into large bite-sized pieces.
- When potatoes are just tender, heap kale leaves into pan, pour over the reserved pasta cooking water, and top with a lid. Cook until kale is wilted, tender, and reduced in volume by at least half, about 5 minutes depending on type, and stir to coat with sauce.
- Add the pasta to the frying pan, sprinkle with the lemon juice, pecorino, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss everything together.
Notes
- You can use a flat or curly variety of kale, whichever you prefer or have on hand. Kale is sweetest in the wintertime after a frost, so this comforting spaghetti recipe makes an especially great midwinter meal. Alternatively, substitute any cooking green, from collards to turnip or mustard greens to baby spinach — alone or in combination. Some will need a little longer to cook than others.
- You can use any shape of pasta, too. Spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, ziti, rigatoni, farfalle, and rotini all spring to mind immediately. But again, use what you’ve got.
- I love the sharp, salty bite of pecorino, but a good parmesan will work instead if you like.
- I tend to keep brined capers in the pantry, but salt-packed ones would also work. Alternatively, chopped briny green or black oil-cured olives would be great.
- Yukon gold or a similar yellow-fleshed potato will hold its shape well while getting creamy and tender.
- Like most pasta, this dish is at its best shortly after it’s ready. Don’t go out of your way to make it in advance. On the flip side, leftovers are as good as any leftover pasta can be (i.e. damn good), so feel free to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- I love using my Le Creuset enameled cast iron braiser for recipes like this because it’s lidded and the enamel makes it non-stick enough for government work without being finicky. There are less-expensive versions out there if the price tag throws you (and I bought a less-loved color at deep discount once upon a time, so that’s an option, too). Not to mention that any opportunity to amortize this giant purchase that I made for a skillet cookie is a good opportunity. It’s the same way I treat my law degree.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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