Penne with Kale and White Beans

I have been making this easy dish since back when kale was just a cheap, anonymous green that people passed by on the way to pick up some spinach. I first came up with this recipe when looking for a budget-friendly meal that could be thrown together quickly after work, but was also healthy. A single bunch of kale was so inexpensive – yet provided quite a few servings of leafy greens – that it seemed like a good starting point. The rest were all ingredients I already had in the pantry: some penne pasta, a can of Great Northern Beans, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and a few herbs and spices. The result was surprisingly delicious, despite the simple ingredients, and it quickly became a go-to dish any time I had a busy week or needed to keep an eye on the grocery budget.

Kale may be mainstream now, but fortunately its price tag hasn’t budged much. Neither have the prices for the rest of the ingredients. This recipe makes enough to feed the whole family, or to feed one person for the better part of the week (I still make this one quite frequently to pack for my lunches at work). One of the best parts is that you probably already have most of these ingredients stocked in your kitchen – just bring home a bunch of kale and you are ready to go.

Print Recipe

Penne with Kale and White Beans

Penne pasta tossed with kale and beans, with herbs, spices, and a little Parmesan – simple, but surprisingly delicious. This light-but-flavorful recipe is perfect any time you need an easy and budget-friendly meal, or when you have some hungry non-meat eaters to please. See recipe notes for easy ways to make this gluten- and/or dairy-free.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Gastricurious

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 16 oz penne pasta
• 1 Tbs olive or avocado oil
• 1 Tbs butter or ghee
• 4 cloves garlic ,minced
• 1 15 oz. can Great Northern Beans ,drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp savory
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes ,optional
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Parmesan and red pepper flakes ,to serve (optional)

Instructions

• Wash kale, and remove stems and tough central rib. Cut or tear leaves into strips, roughly 1/2 to 1 inch wide.
• Blanch kale in a large pot of boiling water just until the color changes to bright green, about 1-2 minutes (don’t overcook!). Use a slotted spoon to remove kale to a plate or bowl and set aside. (Don’t drain the greens too thoroughly. You want to allow a little liquid to accumulate in the dish while they rest).
• Leave the cooking water in the pot and continue to boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and set aside when done.
• While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Once heated, add the butter or ghee and melt to combine with the oil (if using butter, cook until it stops foaming). Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 1-2 mins.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add kale and any accumulated liquid to the pan. Toss to combine. Add beans, salt, pepper, herbs, and pepper flakes (if using). Toss well, then allow to simmer until beans are heated through and liquid has reduced somewhat, about 5 mins.
• Using a fork, mash about a third of the beans in the skillet to form a paste. Add the lemon juice and combine thoroughly. Remove from heat and toss with pasta.
• Serve topped with grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired.

Notes

Make this gluten-free: Simply swap in your favorite gluten-free penne. We used a quinoa and brown rice penne in the batch we made for our photos.

Make this vegan and dairy free: Omit the butter/ghee and double the amount of oil. Use a good-quality extra virgin olive oil to maximize on flavor. Skip the cheese topping, or replace it with nutritional yeast mixed with a little celery salt (about 1/8 tsp celery salt per Tbs of yeast).

• If you don’t have savory in your pantry (which you really ought to rectify), oregano is a decent substitute here. You might want to use a little less, since oregano is a bit more potent.