Make Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta, Budget, Ingredients

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Tear the kale leaves from the woody stalks into little 1 to 2-inch pieces. Allow draining after thoroughly rinsing the torn kale in a colander under cold, running water.
2. Bring water to a boil in a big pot. Split the pasta in half and cook until al dente in boiling water (about 7 minutes). Use a colander to drain the pasta.
3. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate large pot or skillet, heat the olive oil, butter, and minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat, or until the garlic is fragrant and tender. Sauté the kale until it has wilted and turns a dark green hue (about 5-7 minutes). Switch off the heat.
4. In the same saucepan as the sautéed kale, add the drained pasta. Combine the spaghetti and greens in a large mixing bowl and toss well. Allow them to cool until the saucepan is no longer steaming. You want the pasta to be warm, but not so hot that the Parmesan cheese melts.
5. Salt and freshly cracked pepper the pasta and kale to taste. Toss with the grated Parmesan cheese. If preferred, sprinkle with a pinch of red pepper flakes.

NOTES

*This meal pairs wonderfully with whole wheat pasta.

NUTRITION IN GARLIC PARMESAN KALE PASTA

• Serving: 1 Serving
• Calories: 373.7 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 48.98 g
• Protein: 11.48 g
• Fat: 15.33 g
• Sodium: 309.9 mg
• Fiber: 4 g

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING GARLIC PARMESAN KALE PASTA

1. Take one bunch of kale (approximately 1/2 pound) and separate the leaves from the woody stems. As you go, tear the leaves into 1 to 2-inch chunks. If preferred, you can also use pre-chopped, bagged kale.
2. Rinse the kale thoroughly with cold running water in a colander. Drain the kale and set it aside to dry.
3. Cook 1/2 pound angel hair pasta as directed on the packet. You’ll want to start with the pasta because the rest of the dish will be ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta. When the spaghetti is broken in half before boiling, it’s much easier to incorporate it with the other ingredients (it still looks just like long pasta once mixed).
4. In a big pot or skillet, combine 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons oil, and 2 garlic cloves, minced I like to stir the kale in a pot with tall sides so it doesn’t fall out. Over medium heat, sauté the garlic for a few minutes, or until soft and fragrant (it should smell like the nicest garlic bread you’ve ever smelled).
5. Continue to sauté the kale until it has wilted and turned a deep jade green color. The kale nearly filled the saucepan when I originally put it in, but it quickly wilts. After roughly 5 minutes, I had reached this conclusion. Once it’s wilted, turn off the heat.
6. Your pasta should be done and draining in a colander at this point. Allow it to cool for a minute before tossing it into the pot with the kale. Allow for a few minutes of resting time here, until the pasta is no longer steaming. The spaghetti should be warm, but not so hot that the Parmesan melts away. This is the moment to salt and pepper the pasta and kale. I simply sprinkle some on top as if it were my dinner plate, stir it around, taste it, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
7. Finally, mix in the grated parmesan. If you want to give the Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta a little extra kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Because that’s how I roll, I created a dinner out of the Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta by topping it with a fried egg. Also delicious would be a diced hard-boiled egg. Perhaps some sriracha sauce as well.