Best 9 Kale Pasta Salad Recipes

KALE MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente, drain, rinse quickly with cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.
• Tear kale into small pieces, removing the ribs. Place in a large mixing bowl (or serving bowl).
• Sprinkle with coarse Kosher salt and then using clean hands, massage it well, breaking down the fibers so it is tender. The better you massage it, the easier it is to eat so don't skip or rush this step.
• Add cooked pasta, olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bottled minced garlic, feta and parmesan cheese to the kale, tossing to coat and combine.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours (up to overnight) before serving. Toss again before serving to redistribute the dressing. Serve cold.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings!

KALE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta in salty boiling water for about 12 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and add to a large bowl. Set aside.
• In a large skillet or pan, heat 4 tablespoons of oil and add the minced garlic. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Don't let garlic turn brown! Add the cooked bacon and heat for about 1 to 2 minutes to bring out its flavor. Remove pan from heat, stir in 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper. Pour mixture all over the cooked pasta, tossing well to combine. Set aside.
• Add the other 2 remaining tablespoons of oil and chopped kale to the same skillet or pan (without wiping it out) and let cook over medium-high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes or until kale is slightly wilted. Warming up the kale over medium-high heat brings out its flavor, avoiding get too bitter. Add kale to the pasta mixture with the lemon juice, and toss to combine. Let sit for about 5 to 7 minutes. When mixture has cool down, add the Parmesan cheese and toss. Taste pasta mixture, adjusting the seasonings if necessary.
• Chill kale pasta salad for about 2 to 3 hours (or more if necessary) and serve.

KALE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Once the pasta is done, rinse it under cool water and let it drain thoroughly.
• Meanwhile, prep your other ingredients and add them to a large salad bowl as you go along. The kale should be removed from the stems and chopped very finely. Add the dressing ingredients to a jar.
• Once the pasta is done, add it to the bowl. Shake the dressing thoroughly and toss the salad until coated. Season the pasta salad with salt & pepper as needed. You can eat it right away or chill it for an hour or so prior to eating.

KALE-PASTA MASON JAR SALAD

Steps:

• For the pasta and pine nuts: Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and add to a bowl. Set aside.
• Add the pine nuts to a small skillet over low heat. Toast slowly over the course of 3 to 4 minutes, tossing regularly. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
• For the dressing: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic over low heat so that the garlic slowly infuses the oil, about a minute. When the garlic begins to sizzle, stir it around so it doesn't get too brown. When the garlic starts to turn golden, add the salt and pepper and stir; set aside for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, pour the oil mixture (scraping out the salt, pepper and garlic) into a small mason jar. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, basil and parsley, put the lid on and shake it.
• For the kale: Finely slice 1 bunch of the kale. Set the same skillet (without cleaning it) over medium-high heat. Add the sliced kale and cook until partly wilted, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then add the Parmesan shavings and toss. Season with salt and pepper.
• Finely slice the remaining 1/2 bunch kale and set aside.
• For the assembly: Start by pouring 1/4 cup dressing into each quart-size mason jar, followed by 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 1/4 cups pasta, 1 tablespoon pine nuts, 1/2 cup cooked kale with Parmesan, 8 to 9 mozzarella balls and, finally, 1/2 cup sliced raw kale. Put the lids on the jars and refrigerate until ready to eat.

KILLER KALE PASTA

Steps:

• Place the bell peppers over the flame of a gas burner to char, turning, 3 to 4 minutes per side (or char the peppers under the broiler, turning, 5 minutes). Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow the peppers to steam about 10 minutes. Once cool to the touch, remove the peppers from the bowl and pull off the charred skin and stems and remove the seeds. Slice and set aside until ready to use.
• Set a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then the shallots and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the shallots are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and wine and cook until most of the wine has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add both cans of tomatoes and the roasted red peppers. Mix well and bring to a steady boil, then reduce the heat so the sauce simmers.
• Meanwhile, prepare the kale by removing and discarding the stems; tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Fold the kale into the tomato sauce along with the chicken and toss to combine. Cover and cook until the kale has wilted, about 5 minutes. If the sauce seems dry, add the chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time. Continue cooking, covered, until the kale is tender, all the flavors have come together and the sauce is thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and add it directly to the Dutch oven with the finished sauce. Drizzle in some olive oil. Cook over low heat, tossing to coat everything, 2 to 3 minutes. (This allows the last cooking of the pasta to be done in the sauce.) Add a little of the reserved pasta water if needed. Serve the pasta in large bowls and top with spoonfuls of parmesan, more red pepper flakes and another drizzle of olive oil.

MEDITERRANEAN KALE SALAD

Steps:

• Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Bring another pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes, reduce heat, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic and shallot in the hot butter with lemon juice until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Transfer tomatoes, garlic mixture, Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup olive oil to the bowl of a food processor. Blend for 30 seconds.
• Mix quinoa, chickpeas, kale, and bell pepper in a mixing bowl. Top with tomato dressing, garnish with artichokes and feta cheese, and serve.

CHEESY STOVETOP MAC WITH SAUSAGE AND KALE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pot or a very large, deep skillet over medium-high, then add the onion, kale and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale has cooked down and the onion is smaller in size, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until the paste darkens slightly, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Add the sausage and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until it loses its pink color, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the red-pepper flakes, sprinkle with salt and give everything a good stir. Add the chicken broth and pasta and stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on the pan and cook until the pasta is soft but still has some bite to it, about 10 minutes. Be sure to check on the pasta and stir every now and again. (The sauce will have thickened from the starch in the pasta.)
• Add the cheese and hot sauce and mix well. Add salt and additional hot sauce to taste before serving.

PENNE WITH KALE AND ONION

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook onion in 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently and adding the garlic during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. , Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook penne according to package directions. In a Dutch oven, bring 1 in. of water to a boil. Add kale; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender; drain., Drain penne; drizzle with remaining oil. Stir the salt, penne and kale into the onion mixture; heat through.

KALE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain pasta well.
• Combine pasta, kale, carrots, cherry tomatoes, olives, cucumber, bell pepper, and shallot in a bowl. Stir together Greek dressing and mayo in a bowl and drizzle over salad. Mix until well combined.