SPICY SWEET POTATO AND KALE PASTA BAKE

Spicy Sweet Potato and Kale Pasta Bake image

Ready for some sweet heat? This sweet potato-pasta dish delivers! Pepper Jack cheese adds a kick to layers of tender kale and whole grain penne.

Provided by My Food and Family

Categories Cheese

Time 55m

Yield 8 servings, 1 cup each

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

3 cups cubed peeled sweet potato (1-inch pieces)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups whole grain penne pasta, uncooked
8 cups chopped stemmed fresh kale
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese, divided

Steps:

Heat oven to 400ºF.
Combine first 3 ingredients in 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake 20 min. or until potato is tender. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding kale to the boiling water for the last 2 min.
Drain pasta mixture, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return pasta mixture and reserved water to pan. Add cream cheese and stir until completely melted and sauce is well blended. Add to potato mixture in baking dish along with 1 cup shredded cheese; mix lightly. Top with remaining shredded cheese.
Bake 15 min. or until heated through.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 360, Fat 15 g, SaturatedFat 7 g, TransFat 0 g, Cholesterol 35 mg, Sodium 290 mg, Carbohydrate 44 g, Fiber 8 g, Sugar 8 g, Protein 16 g