It’s 2022 and I’ve decided the year’s color is going to be green, mostly basing this decision off of this kale pasta recipe, because I’m obsessed with it. And I know that *technically* the color of 2021 is green, but I’m not living in the past! I’m just carrying what I love into the future. And what I love is green.
Now what I really love about this recipe is not just the gorgeous color, but the creamy, rich texture and flavors that it brings to the table, all with pretty minimal effort. When making this recipe I made myself edit – what could I use less of, what was an unnecessary ingredient, etc. I wanted this recipe to be as quick and doable as possible, because it truly is a perfect weeknight dinner.
This kale pasta is plant-based, packed with vegetables (um..hello, kale) and if you pair it with a protein based pasta you basically have a full meal all set. It’s 2022, I’m here for a green noodle.
Table of contents
What greens can you use in this kale tahini pasta?
So. You know me. I love kale, kale loves me. We love kale here.
BUT for this kale tahini pasta, I’m not mandating you to kale. It can really work with any green you have lying around, and it is a PERFECT option for any leafy greens you have that might be down on their luck. Slightly wilted chard? Add it to the pasta? Spinach on its last leg? Get it in the blender. You get the drill.
So while kale lends an amazing flavor to this, it’s not something you can’t get with something like broccoli rabe, collard greens or spinach. Feel free to use what you have!
How to prepare the kale
In this recipe I initially had you boiling the kale, then draining it, then drying it, and it all seemed like too MUCH. The goal is just to have the kale soft and pliable enough to blend with the other ingredients.
I switched the method from boiling to pouring boiling water over the kale and letting it sit for a few minutes, then removing the kale with tongs. This method works with any other greens, and I found for this kale pasta it helps make the whole process that much more simple.
The ingredients you will need for the pasta sauce
This sauce is shockingly creamy for how little you put into it. And I think that’s all thanks to the tahini. Tahini is an amazing base ingredient because although it is slightly bitter, it still provides a great neutral canvas while still giving a dish creaminess and subtle flavor. The tahini is definitely the supporting actress to the kale’s star, and we can consider the spices very, very important supporting roles.
Here’s everything you’ll need for this kale tahini pasta recipe:
- 5 ounces kale, washed and chopped – I prefer tuscan kale, but any will work!
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 3/4 tsp each of oregano, coriander, cumin and salt
- 1 lemon for juicing
- 8 ounces pasta of choice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds optional, for topping
How to bring the whole recipe together
In the same way that I really tried to edit the ingredients list for fussiness, I tried to do the same with the instructions. At first I was having you boil the kale separately, then drain, then dry, but it all seemed like so much work. I shortened the recipe to include only soaking the kale, and tried to minimize any unnecessary aspects into a few simple steps.
This recipe comes down to timing, so here is the step-by-step for this kale pasta:
- Add the kale to a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the kale until it is fully submerged. Let the kale sit for 2-3 minutes. Then use tongs to transfer the kale into a large blender.
- Add the tahini, oregano, coriander, cumin and salt to the blender. Squeeze in the juice of one whole lemon.
- Bring a large pot to a boil. Salt the water generously and cook your pasta to al dente. Reserve 2/3 cup of the salted pasta water.
- Add the pasta water to the blender and blend the kale mixture until it is smooth and bright green.
- Put a skillet on low heat and add the olive oil and red pepper flakes. Use tongs to transfer the pasta from the pot to the skillet, bringing a few drops of pasta water with it.
- Pour in the kale sauce and stir until it evenly coats the pasta. Top with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
FAQ
This pasta will last in the fridge for up to 4 days, so it’s perfect for a Sunday or Monday meal prep or dinner prep situation.
I recommend storing the pasta in an air-tight container in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 5 months. To reheat the pasta, I recommend putting a skillet on low to medium heat and adding in the pasta with 1/3 cup hot water. Stir to emulsify the sauce again before serving.
Yes! If you are gluten free or just looking for a little extra protein, feel free to sub in whatever pasta type you like! This recipe is versatile and designed to fit what you have on hand, and the sauce can truly go with anything.
Looking for other pasta recipes?
You can find all of my pasta recipes here.
And that’s it for this recipe!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Kale Tahini Pasta
Ingredients
- 5 ounces kale washed and chopped
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 3/4 tsp each of oregano, coriander, cumin and salt
- 1 lemon for juicing
- 8 ounces pasta of choice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds optional, for topping
Instructions
- Add the kale to a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the kale until it is fully submerged. Let the kale sit for 2-3 minutes. Then use tongs to transfer the kale into a large blender.
- Add the tahini, oregano, coriander, cumin and salt to the blender. Add in the juice of one whole lemon. Don't blend until you have pasta water to add in.
- Bring a large pot to a boil. Salt the water generously and cook your pasta to al dente. Reserve 2/3 cup of the salted pasta water.
- Add the pasta water to the blender and blend the kale mixture until it is smooth and bright green.
- Put a skillet on low heat and add the olive oil and red pepper flakes. Use tongs to transfer the pasta from the pot to the skillet, bringing a few drops of pasta water with it.
- Pour in the kale sauce and stir until it evenly coats the pasta. Top with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Super delicious! I increased the herbs and chili flakes to my taste and it was amazing on whole wheat spaghetti. My only comment is the step to add the lemon juice is missing from the recipe steps, but I found it in the video.
Oh my goodness thank you for catching that! I’ll update to reflect the video – but so glad you liked the recipe!
This looks really good and can’t wait to try! Do you think spinach would work instead of kale?
Yes! It should work 🙂
I have everything for this except the coriander & oregano 😅 do you have any other herb suggestions in place or these or do I need to make a trip to the grocery?
Since this recipe is so minimal I’d say they are worth getting to add in! I don’t think it would be the same without them!
I FLOVE the simplicity and decadence of your recipes! First: A big Thank YOU! Your content is sublime 😀 Next, thoughts on using other greens for this? I wonder if collards would be too fibrous or bitter, yet I’m intrigued to try other winter greens.
Hi! First thank you so much for your kind words <3 It means so much! Second, I love swiss chard in this, or spinach too. I haven't tried other winter greens, but I'm sure if you leave them in the boiling water for a bit longer to soften they should work out well!
So yummy and filling!
Love the creative use of kale; my partner hates the texture of raw kale so this was a great way to get him to eat some 😉
I found myself adding more salt at the end, as well as a few squeezes of honey into the saucey pasta. The added sweetness sort of evens out any residual bitterness from the tahini.
I didn’t have red pepper flakes, so I chopped and sautéed about four cloves of raw garlic in the olive oil before adding in the pasta, and that really worked.
Really loved how quick this all came together.
Thanks so much!
The flavor was amazing but I have two pieces of feedback! 1) I know we love our blender around here, but I think this sauce is a job for a food processor if you have one. I have a decent blender but it struggled to get the kale emulsified (which I didn’t realized until I was pouring in, and tried to fix with my immersion blender, and just generally ended up with a bit of a mess, haha) and 2) in the spirit of saving water and using our pasta water, I kept my kale in a bowl, reserved 2/3 cup pasta water for the blender and poured the rest of the hot pasta water over the kale to wilt it! Didn’t add that much time and worked well for me. 🙂 Amazing flavor though, highly recommend !