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There are plenty of pasta and greens recipes out there to try, but this one with sautéed kale is elevated and made super amazing by the topping of Parmesan-infused fried fresh breadcrumbs. And a smidge of anchovies and red pepper flakes. It’s a crowd-pleaser of a recipe and a great change of pace. This is a one-dish pasta dinner with the greens built right in.
There are lots of varieties of kale on the market — play around with any and all of them. Kale season lasts for a long time, starting in summer and then lasting well into the winter since it’s such a hardy green. It can be used in all kinds of ways: raw, cooked, in salads and soups and stews, and here as a great partner for pasta. Also, consider Campanelle with Chicken, Sausage, Kale, and Olives.
Table of Contents
I always rush to mention that if you have people at the table who think they don’t like anchovies, you should conveniently leave out that little nugget of information when describing this dish. But leave out the information, not the anchovies. Unless you are serving vegetarians or vegans — then you should definitely mention it!
Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Use it to cook the greens, but also drizzle just a touch on top before serving.
- Coarse fresh breadcrumbs – You can make your own breadcrumbs or buy them. Make sure your breadcrumbs are coarse so they have an appealing crunch and don’t blend into the dish.
- Minced garlic – There is no way this recipe is as good without fresh minced garlic!
- Anchovy filets – Rinsed and minced; you can use oil or salt-packed.
- Red pepper flakes – You can pass more at the table for those who like a bigger kick.
- Kale – Cut the thick stems out (see here for the best way to prepare kale), rinse well, and roughly chop the greens.
- Spaghetti – Or use another long skinny pasta, or hey, maybe a chunky one instead!
- Lemon – Fresh lemon juice is always recommended.
- Grated Parmesan cheese – Also, pass more at the table for people to sprinkle on their portions.
How to Make Pasta with Sautéed Kale and Toasted Breadcrumbs
- Make the breadcrumb topping: Sauté the breadcrumbs in a bit of oil, stirring frequently, until light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add half the garlic and cook and stir for one more minute, until you can smell the garlic. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the toasted crumbs to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Cook the kale: Sauté the remaining garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes, then add the kale and ¼ cup water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is fairly wilted and tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta: Remove ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Finish the pasta: Combine the pasta, ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water, and the lemon juice in the pan with the wilted kale, and toss to combine well.
- Make the topping: Stir together the toasted breadcrumbs with ¼ cup Parmesan.
- Serve: Toss the pasta with the kale and top with the Parmesan bread crumbs.
Variations
- You can use other dark greens, like mustard greens, collards, Swiss chard, or even chopped broccolini or broccoli rabe. You can also use spinach, but cook it for only about 4 or 5 minutes, or it will probably get a bit too soft.
- If you wanted to add some crumbled bacon or bacon lardons to the top, that would be delicious.
- Leave out the anchovies for a vegetarian version.
Tips
- The cooking times suggested will wilt and soften the greens but not turn them into mush. Having said that — like your greens super tender? Cook them longer.
- If the kale is damp from rinsing it, you can skip adding additional water.
- Pass the extra Parmesan on the side for additional sprinkling, and let people give their servings an extra drizzle of olive oil if they wish.
More Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes
- Thin Spaghetti with Fennel, Bacon and Parmesan
- Pasta with Creamy Sundried Tomato and Scallion Sauce
- Whole Grain Penne with Zucchini, Tomato, and Feta
- Chicken and Mushroom Marsala Rotelle
- Penne alla Vodka
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Pasta with Sautéed Kale and Toasted Breadcrumbs
Parmesan-infused, toasted fresh breadcrumbs offer a lovely crunch and elevate this greens and pasta dish to a whole other level.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
- 1 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (divided)
- 4 oil- or salt-packed anchovy filets (rinsed and minced)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
- 2 pounds kale (thick stems cut out, rinsed well, and roughly chopped)
- 1 pound spaghetti
- Juice from 1 lemon
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (divided; plus more for serving)
Instructions
- Heat half of the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper, and toast, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add half the garlic and cook and stir for one more minute, until you can smell the garlic. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the toasted crumbs to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt.
- After you have cooked the bread crumbs, pour out any remaining oil, and wipe out the skillet with paper towels (carefully!). Return the skillet to medium heat, add the rest of the oil, and heat over medium heat. Add the remaining minced garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes, and stir for a few seconds, then add the kale and ¼ cup water (if the kale is damp from rinsing it, skip the additional water), partially cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the kale is fairly wilted and tender.
- While the kale is cooking, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Remove ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta, ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water, and the lemon juice to the pan with the wilted kale, and toss to combine well (use the pot you cooked the pasta in if that works better size-wise). Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. In a small bowl, stir together the toasted breadcrumbs with ¼ cup of the Parmesan.
- Transfer the pasta and kale to a serving bowl or to individual plates, and top with the Parmesan breadcrumbs. Pass the extra Parmesan on the side for additional sprinkling, and let people give their servings an extra drizzle of olive oil if they wish.
Notes
- You can use other dark greens, like mustard greens, collards, Swiss chard even chopped broccolini or broccoli rabe. You can also use spinach, but cook it for only about 4 or 5 minutes, or it will probably get a bit too soft.
- If you wanted to add some crumbled bacon or bacon lardons to the top, that would be delicious.
- Skip the anchovies to make this recipe vegetarian.
- The cooking times suggested will wilt and soften the greens but not turn them into mush. Having said that—like your greens super tender? Cook them longer.
- If the kale is damp from rinsing it, you can skip adding additional water.
- Pass the extra Parmesan on the side for additional sprinkling, and let people give their servings an extra drizzle of olive oil if they wish.
Nutrition
Calories: 573kcal, Carbohydrates: 83g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 326mg, Potassium: 967mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 15201IU, Vitamin C: 182mg, Calcium: 374mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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