[ recipe ] :: kale pasta bowl

The Hubs and I have been obsessed with kale lately. It's healthy, easy to cook, tastes great, and can go in almost any dish. For dinner the other night I made whole wheat pasta with Parmesan-crusted chicken tenders with some garlicky sauteed kale on the side. The combination of garlic, kale, and Parmesan was absolutely delicious so I went searching for more main-dish recipes. It was then that I found my new favorite blog, Budget Bytes. Love. It.

A few times a week, we have a "meatless" dish that usually features beans or eggs as the main protein source. With this Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta as my inspiration from Budget Bytes, I set out to make dinner. I'll be honest, at first I was apprehensive about putting a fried egg on top of a pasta dish - but it was delicious. Life-changing. I don't even like my eggs runny (I like them over-hard) so I tried mine over-medium. Admittedly, I have been craving this dish ever since I first made it.

One of my favorite features of Budget Bytes is that the recipes are healthy and they have a breakdown of the cost of the meal and the cost per serving. Since I used coupons for some of the ingredients, I have included the discounted prices in the cost of my meal. Without coupons, as outlined on Budget Bytes, this recipe comes in at just $0.97 per serving!

Here is the recipe for my version of this Kale Pasta Bowl! I added a bit more flavor by using a chopped onion, adding Sriracha and an egg (as recommended), and The Hubs even had a sliced avocado on top of his. Can you imagine how nutrient-rich this dish is? Healthy and delicious!

Ingredients

8 cups (1/2 lb) kale, torn into pieces
8 oz (4 servings) whole wheat pasta
1/2 a medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup good-quality shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter (I used Smart Balance butter spread to save on calories and fat)
1/2 cup pasta water, set aside
Salt and Pepper, to taste


Optional:
4-8 eggs (1-2 per person), sliced avocado, Sriracha, red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Save 1/2 cup of hot pasta water for cooking the kale, drain the pasta, and set aside.

Heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat until the butter has just melted. Saute the onion until translucent, about 3-5 minutes, then add the kale and garlic. The kale will need to be sauteed until wilted, and this process can be sped up by adding 1/2 cup of hot pasta water. The water will steam as it is heated and help to wilt the kale.

Toss the kale with the pasta, then stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste. If a fried egg is desired, place the cracked egg in a nonstick pan and cook each side for 2-3 minutes, or until the egg white is cooked through and the yolk begins to set up. Top with Sriracha for a spicy kick or a sliced avocado for a creamy flavor. Serves 4.

- Maggie White