Last updated on July 28th, 2024
Are you looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal that you can feel good about serving to your family?
I am a mom of four living in Tuscany since 2012 and I’m always looking for quick-yet-wholesome meals my entire family will eat and this 20-minute creamy kale pasta recipe checks every box.
We eat a lot of kale in the winter in Italy so I am always creating new and creative ways to sneak it into our daily intake. In this article, learn how to make my most recent discovery, a 20 minute creamy kale pasta recipe – a vegetarian pasta that you will fall in love with.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce and by the time it’s done, the sauce is too!
Check out more Delicious Dinner Recipes That We Actually Make in Italy.
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What Is Creamy Kale Pasta?
Creamy kale pasta is an Italian first course made with any kind of pasta (short or long such as penne or spaghetti) dressed in a creamy sauce made from kale, garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese.
For Vegan Kale Pasta: This creamy kale pasta recipe is easily adapted to vegans by omitting the parmesan cheese.
Ingredients For Creamy Kale Pasta
Pasta
My Italian family always prefers long pasta such as spaghetti or fettuccine (use 300 g) with pesto and this is no exception. If you prefer or you have small children, short pasta such as penne or farfalle works just as well.
To learn more about cooking pasta, how we eat pasta in Italy and what brands are my favorite, check out
How To Cook Pasta Like an Italian
What Does ‘al Dente’ Mean?
Is it Illegal to Break Pasta in Italy? + Quick Guide to Italian Pasta Etiquette
Italian Pasta Brands That We Actually Use in Italy
Garlic
Use whatever garlic you have on hand, purple or white. You will need two cloves peeled and smashed. Read about the differences here.
Cavolo Nero (Kale)
This creamy kale sauce is primarily made from dinosaur kale, sometimes called Tuscan kale. Use about 7 oz (200 grams). You will need to clean and destem the kale, which you can watch how to do here.
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 30 g Parmesan cheese, optional
- Salt to taste
Selecting Olive Oil: Need help choosing an olive oil? Check out my favorites in
15 Best Italian Olive Oils – To Enjoy in Italy & Bring Home as a Souvenir
Best Italian Olive Oil Brands in America – Where to Buy Them and How to Store Them
How To Make Creamy Kale Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt well. Learn how to do this here. While the water comes to a boil, clean the kale, removing the stalky stems and roughly chop.
Peel and smash the garlic gloves. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat and add the smashed garlic. Cook for just a couple of minutes to infuse the olive oil, being careful not to burn the garlic. It should not brown, just get golden.
Add the kale to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.
Remove the kale with a pair of tongs and transfer it to a bowl or a blender. Add the garlic and olive oil, parmesan cheese, if using, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Add the pasta to the boiling salted water and cook al dente.
Blend the kale sauce using an immersion blender or blender. Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if need be (the amount of salt you add will depend on how salty your pasta cooking water was to begin with).
Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the starchy water.
Return the al dente pasta to the pan and toss with the creamy kale sauce, adding a bit of the reserved starchy pasta water if it’s too dry or sticky. Serve immediately with more grated parmesan cheese.
Notes and Tips For Making Creamy Kale Pasta
- This Italian kale pasta recipe comes together in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. Clean and destem the kale or cavolo nero while the pasta water is boiling to save time.
- Kale pasta is an amazing pasta to make for picnics and potlucks. It holds up well all day, even in warmer weather.
- For busy readers, consider making a big batch with wholegrain pasta at the beginning of the week and eating it for lunch on busy weekdays as a cold or room temperature pasta salad with mozzarella, added chopped tomatoes or as is.
Variations To Creamy Kale Pasta
- Use whole grain pasta instead of regular white pasta.
- Use Pecorino Romano instead of parmesan in the kale sauce.
- To bulk up this salad and serve it as a room temperature pasta salad, add roasted vegetables such as roasted squash or grilled asparagus, mozzarella pieces (balls or bite size pieces) or halved cherry tomatoes.
How To Serve Creamy Kale Pasta
My family finds creamy kale pasta to be rich and filling but if you want to bulk it up, try adding roasted squash or serving with grilled or pan sauteed sausages or small balls of mozzarella.
Finish your creamy kale pasta with a heavy sprinkling of parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano).
How To Store Creamy Kale Pasta
Kale pasta can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. It does not freeze well.
Looking for kale recipes? Check out:
Polenta with Cannellini Beans and Kale
Creamy Italian Kale Soup
Italian Kale Salad with Gorgonzola
Tuscan Kale Crostini
Italian Kale Pesto
Creamy Kale Pasta
Popular Tuscan Kale Recipes
Do you enjoy making and eating Italian pasta? If so, check out these recipes:
Orecchiette Pasta Recipe
Pici Pasta Recipe – How To Make Tuscany’s Hand Rolled Spaghetti
Tagliatelle Recipe + How to Pronounce It
Cacio e Pepe Recipe – Pronounce it and Make it Like an Italian (+ Audio)
Fresh Pomodoro Sauce Recipe – An Italian Summer Tradition
Pomodoro Sauce Recipe – Made With Canned Tomatoes
Creamy Kale Pasta Recipe
Italian Kale Pesto Recipe
Aglione Sauce Recipe
Pappardelle alla Boscaiola Recipe
Creamy Kale Pasta
Ingredients
- 300 g spaghetti or pasta of your choice
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 200 g dinosaur kale (cavolo nero)
- 30 g parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt well. While the water comes to a boil, clean the kale, removing the stalky stems and roughly chop.
- Peel and smash the garlic gloves. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat and add the smashed garlic. Cook for just a couple of minutes to infuse the olive oil, being careful not to burn the garlic. It should not brown, just get golden.
- Add the kale to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.
- Remove the kale with a pair of tongs and transfer it to a bowl or a blender. Add the garlic and olive oil, parmesan cheese, if using, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Add the pasta to the boiling salted water and cook al dente.
- Blend the kale sauce using an immersion blender or blender. Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if need be (the amount of salt you add will depend on how salty your pasta cooking water was to begin with).
- Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the starchy water.
- Return the al dente pasta to the pan and toss with the creamy kale sauce, adding a bit of the reserved starchy pasta water if it’s too dry or sticky. Serve immediately with more grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- This Italian kale pasta recipe comes together in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. Clean and destem the kale or cavolo nero while the pasta water is boiling to save time.
- Kale pasta is an amazing pasta to make for picnics and potlucks. It holds up well all day, even in warmer weather.
- For busy readers, consider making a big batch with wholegrain pasta at the beginning of the week and eating it for lunch on busy weekdays as a cold or room temperature pasta salad with mozzarella, added chopped tomatoes or as is.
