Pasta with Lacinato Kale and Cannellini Beans
- Minutes to Prepare:
- Minutes to Cook:
- Number of Servings: 6
Ingredients
I large bunch Lacinato Kale, stemmed and cut into pieces (about 6 cups)3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed1 leek, white part only, finely chopped (or use yellow onion if you don't have a leek)1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste - I use more)2-15 oz can cannellini beans1 pint cherry tomatoes halved or equivalent measure of diced Roma tomatoes or 1 - 2 Tbsp Amore tomato paste (optional)additional salt to taste16 oz whole wheat pasta (not included in nutrition stats)Nutritional yeast or vegan Parm or grated Parmesan if you consume animal products (optional)
In a separate pan, cook a package of whole wheat spaghetti or linguine. When pasta is cooked, drain it but reserve 2 cups of the pasta water.
Steam fry leeks (or onions); add garlic when they become soft. Be careful not to brown the garlic; it will be bitter if you do. Add enough pasta water to deglaze the pan. Add red pepper flakes and salt. Add the drained and rinsed beans; gently stir into leek and garlic mixture. Add kale and tomatoes (if using). Add 1/2 cup pasta water. Cover pan for about 5 minutes until kale wilts. Add reserved pasta water a bit at a time, just enough for the kale to wilt and become tender. Be sure to taste the kale and bean mixture. Adjust seasoning as needed. Add drained cooked pasta directly to the bean and kale mixture. Add additional pasta water if the mixture is dry, and add more olive oil if desired. Top with nutritional yeast or vegan parm when serving, if desired.
COOK'S NOTES:
Beans that are cooked from soaked dried beans have much more flavor than canned, and they have less sodium. Canned beans, however, are very convenient. I try to keep a stash of several varieties of cooked beans in the freezer, but I was out of them when I made this recipe.
You could use any variety of kale to make this recipe. I love the taste, texture, and color of Lacinato Kale. It is darker than curly kale and has a lighter flavor. If you can't find Lacinato kale, curly kale is fine. Sometimes I use a combination of Lacinato and red kale. Use what is available.
If you don't have leeks, use onion or shallots. I just happened to have leeks on hand, and I love to cook with them.
You could serve this as a side dish without the pasta.
Substitute pasta of your choice for whole wheat pasta. Just remember to add the pasta as a separate item on your nutrition tracker.
This is an easy recipe to double.
Steam fry leeks (or onions); add garlic when they become soft. Be careful not to brown the garlic; it will be bitter if you do. Add enough pasta water to deglaze the pan. Add red pepper flakes and salt. Add the drained and rinsed beans; gently stir into leek and garlic mixture. Add kale and tomatoes (if using). Add 1/2 cup pasta water. Cover pan for about 5 minutes until kale wilts. Add reserved pasta water a bit at a time, just enough for the kale to wilt and become tender. Be sure to taste the kale and bean mixture. Adjust seasoning as needed. Add drained cooked pasta directly to the bean and kale mixture. Add additional pasta water if the mixture is dry, and add more olive oil if desired. Top with nutritional yeast or vegan parm when serving, if desired.
COOK'S NOTES:
Beans that are cooked from soaked dried beans have much more flavor than canned, and they have less sodium. Canned beans, however, are very convenient. I try to keep a stash of several varieties of cooked beans in the freezer, but I was out of them when I made this recipe.
You could use any variety of kale to make this recipe. I love the taste, texture, and color of Lacinato Kale. It is darker than curly kale and has a lighter flavor. If you can't find Lacinato kale, curly kale is fine. Sometimes I use a combination of Lacinato and red kale. Use what is available.
If you don't have leeks, use onion or shallots. I just happened to have leeks on hand, and I love to cook with them.
You could serve this as a side dish without the pasta.
Substitute pasta of your choice for whole wheat pasta. Just remember to add the pasta as a separate item on your nutrition tracker.
This is an easy recipe to double.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 159.5
- Total Fat: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
- Sodium: 204.5 mg
- Total Carbs: 30.8 g
- Dietary Fiber: 7.6 g
- Protein: 10.5 g
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