Kale & Sun-dried Tomato Penne

You’ll love this quick and easy pasta, bursting with flavor from hearty kale and sun-dried tomatoes. While simple, this recipe is too good not to share. If you’re looking for more ways to use kale in a discrete way, you’ve found the right recipe.

Let the kale sauté in oil, salt and pepper for about 10 minutes to release its flavor. If you are on a kale kick, like me, you can try adding sautéed kale to other favorite recipes for a pop of color and flavor.

You can easily make this dish vegan by using a dairy free pesto (or make your own) and eliminating the parmesan sprinkles. 

Enough about the Kale, the real star here is the sun-dried tomatoes! Dice these babies up and add to the sauteed kale. So easy and bursting with italian flavor.

Price – This recipe is a 2 out of 4 on the price scale. Kale can be bought in bunches or in a bag. Usually buying a bunch is cheaper. Giant has them for $1.99. Bags are usually $3.99. Sun-dried tomatoes can be bought in a can at the grocery store for about $5 BUT I look for them at local markets and whole food stores and can find them much cheaper. I scored a bag for $1.75 at Edwards Freeman Nuts in Conshohocken. The pesto is from Aldi (need I say more).

Penne with Kale and Sun-dried Tomatoes Recipe

Serving Size – 2

3 Cups Kale (Packed)

½ tsp Salt and Pepper

1 tsp. Minced Garlic

2 Tbsp. EVOO

1/3 Cup Sun-dried Tomatoes (sliced into small pieces)

½ box Penne Pasta

3 Tbsp. Pesto

Parmesan Cheese to taste

Instructions:

In a medium pot, cook pasta as directed on package. While pasta is cooking, in a large saucepan on medium heat, add 2 Tbsp. EVOO, garlic and kale. Mix with spatula to cover leaves with EVOO, and then add salt and pepper.  Cook about 10 minutes, or until leaves start to shrivel and wildt. Add sun dried tomatoes in the last few minutes of cooking the kale. When penne is done, drain and add to the kale mixture.  Toss ingredients together. Add pesto and stir. Serve and top with parmesan cheese to taste. 

Pesto from Aldi - $1.99

Yum!