Dairy Farmers of Canada

Lemony Pasta with Kale

A light cream sauce with a fresh lemon zing, garlic and sweet peppers are the perfect match for nutrient-packed kale. This pasta dish is sure to become a new favourite.

  • Prep: 15 min
  • Cooking: 15 min - 20 min
Yields 4 servings
lemony pasta with kale
Lemony pasta with kale is the nutritious recipe proposed in this video. You’ll discover kale, a dark green vegetable that's increasingly popular and rich with vitamins, minerals and fibre. The fettuccine is served in a creamy sauce flavoured with lemon zest and a pinch of nutmeg. A generous sprinkling of grated Canadian Parmesan - and there you go!

Ingredients

  • 8 cups packed coarsely chopped kale leaves (about 6 large leaves)
  • 12 oz (375 g) fettuccine or other long pasta
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
  • 1 small onion thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups (310 mL) 5 % cream or 10 % cream
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • A pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) grated Canadian Parmesan cheese
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Preparation

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook kale for about 3 min or until bright green. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, remove kale from water and transfer to a colander to drain well.

Bring pot of water back to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat; sauté onion, red bell pepper, garlic, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper for about 5 min or until softened. Add kale; cook, stirring often, for about 3 min or until kale is tender. Add lemon zest.

Whisk flour into cream; gradually stir into skillet. Bring to a simmer, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, for 2 min or until slightly thickened.

Pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat. Season to taste with lemon juice, pepper, nutmeg and up to 1/4 tsp (1 mL) more salt. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan Cheese.

Tips

To prepare kale, wash leaves well, rubbing away any grit. Tear stalks and thick centre ribs away from leaves; discard stalks and ribs. Stack kale leaves in batches and coarsely chop into about 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.

To substitute Swiss chard or spinach for kale, skip step 1 and just add leaves to skillet in step 3, then cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 min or until wilted before adding lemon zest.

To use 35 % or 15 % cooking cream, omit the flour.

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Nutritional information

Per serving
Energy: 576 Calories
Protein: 22 g
Carbohydrate: 91 g
Fat: 6.8 g
Fibre: 6.8 g
Sodium: 478 mg

Top 5 Nutrients

(% DV*)
Calcium: 31 % / 341 mg
Folate: 131 %
Selenium: 127 %
Vitamin A: 82 %
Vitamin C: 340 %