Best Creamy Pesto Kale Pasta Recipes

CREAMY KALE PASTA

Creamy Kale Pasta image

This Creamy Kale Pasta is fresh, easy, and DELICIOUS. Chewy bowtie pasta, coated in a light, salty, barely-creamy sauce, flecked with red pepper flakes and little bits of tender sautéed garlic kale.

Provided by Lindsay

Categories Pasta

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup packed parsley
1/4 cup packed basil
2 tablespoons capers or pitted olives
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
juice and zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces farfalle
2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 stalks kale, stems removed, leaves chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup white wine, reserved cooking water, broth, or any combination
lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan to finish (omit Parmesan if vegan)

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 402 calories, Sugar 2.1 g, Sodium 697.3 mg, Fat 18.1 g, SaturatedFat 5.4 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 47 g, Fiber 3.3 g, Protein 9.1 g, Cholesterol 15.3 mg

NUTTY KALE PESTO PASTA WITH CARAMELIZED ONION

Nutty Kale Pesto Pasta with Caramelized Onion image

My bountiful garden and vegetarian daughter both inspired me to create this nutritious, calcium-rich kale pesto pasta. No one would ever guess that this hearty dish is brimming with produce and is prepared in about 30 minutes. -Cindy Beberman, Orland Park, Illinois

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Side Dishes

Time 35m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed
2 cups roughly chopped fresh kale, stems removed
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
12 ounces uncooked whole wheat linguine
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon honey
3 large tomatoes, chopped

Steps:

Pulse hazelnuts in food processor until finely ground. Add kale, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, basil, 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt; pulse until smooth and creamy, adding oil if pesto seems dry., In a large stockpot, cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add garlic and honey. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion caramelizes, about 5 minutes more., Drain linguine, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. In a large serving bowl, combine kale pesto, onion mixture, linguine, chopped tomato and remaining salt. Toss until well coated, adding reserved pasta water if needed to reach desired consistency. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 314 calories, Fat 15g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 3mg cholesterol, Sodium 224mg sodium, Carbohydrate 42g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 7g fiber), Protein 8g protein.