Hi there,
This is another vegetable tale. Do you remember my writing about how long it took to embrace eggplant? Well, I did finally start a romance with aubergines. I mean, how can you resist a vegetable with that fancy title and royal color. Now, I am trying to embrace kale. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an awesome name or gorgeous color. It is just plain Jane green and tough as nails. But, I am trying. Now pasta fagioli – that’s another story. Pasta fagioli can take a seat at my table any time or day. So, I figured I would be a matchmaker and combine the pasta fagioli and the kale. It turned out pretty tasty but I think I still would have preferred spinach! But if you are a kale lover, you will enjoy this recipe.
PASTA FAGIOLI WITH KALE
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced fennel
- 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon of Calabrian pepper
- 1 1/4 pounds kale, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- Salt and Aleppo pepper
- 1 cup canned white cannellini beans, rinsed
- 1/2 pound ditalini
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions
- Pour the oil into a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Then add the garlic, Calabrian pepper , and half of the kale. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Dump in the tomatoes and the rest of the kale. Season with a pinch of salt. Cover the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the beans and cook until warmed.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for one minute less than the directions on the packaging. When done, drain the pasta and toss it into the pan with the kale. Turn the heat to high and cook for an additional minute.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with Parmesan if using, and serve.
Talk soon, ❤️💕 Bernadette
35 responses to “PASTA FAGIOLI WITH KALE – not a love story”
This looks really good! I have to admit, I usually turn toward spinach or chard before choosing the kale, but when it is prepared right, it is a nice addition. My niece makes a delicious kale salad, but she has to massage the hell out of it first!
I don’t kale any more not because of its taste or colour, but its oxalate, which is bad for the kidney. The pasta looks good though.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
Hmm, I never new there were any down sides to that green. Can you tell me more about oxalate? Thanks.
That’s interesting. My husband has a kidney disease, and he enjoys kale. It’s not on his list of foods to avoid, but maybe we should cut it out of our diet. We don’t have it often, though. The doctors seem more concerned with potassium levels.
I know you said the Parmesan was optional, but it sure looks like it would be a perfect addition to the taste.
And it is Jacqui. Thanks for reading.
Oh! Bernadette, I would love this dish, but the Kale is rich in K which doesn’t like Warfarin, however, it can be made with something else, or leave the kale out. Thanks for posting.
Ah! It’s high in K, too. What my husband should avoid, then. Again, it’s not on his high K foods list. Probably because not many people eat it.
I think it is definitely better without the kale. With parmesan cheese on top it is heavenly. Thanks for taking the time to read.
I lovee that you have fennel and kale in there! What a delicious recipe!
Thanks for stopping by and reading. I’m not a fan of kale but I like fennel hot or cold.
I tend to use spinach instead of kale. It is tough as nails and spinach cooks so quickly! Great fagioli recipe!
Thanks so much. I couldn’t agree with you more. I will take spinach any day over kale.
I’m not a lover of Kale either, however, this dish looks delicious. I love Swiss chard, I bet that would be good in this instead of the kale.
Diane, it is funny how many people don’t like kale. I think I am going to give up on it! Yes, chard would be lovely in this as well as baby peas or spinach.
sorry but i loathe kale. it has always been cow feed historically and should have stayed there 🙂
Ha Ha, maybe I will give up on trying to like it. Thanks Sherry.
Hahahaha!
I rarely cook kale, but it is good stir fried with a lot of garlic…incorporating it with a good pasta is a great way to make it taste good!
Jenna
I’m a big fan of kale and we grow a lot of it in our garden. Thanks for the recipe idea!
You are more than welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
Lots of kale nay-sayers! But I loooooove kale and love to use it in all sorts of ways, especially to bulk up sauces and soups. I also just love the curliness of it 🙂
At last! I was beginning to think their wasn’t a kale supporter in the world😊. Thanks for reading and commenting.
I am not a kale lover either but it grows like weeds in my garden. It’s very sad. I keep trying.
Thanks Liz. The kale vote definitely tips to the no side! Have a great weekend.
This looks like a great recipe, Bernadette! You can plant me firmly into the “kale lovers” column, but I do understand why some people can’t acquire the taste for it. I’m thinking your recipe will be possible in my slow cooker, and I have bought everything I need (including pre-washed kale) to give it a try in the next few days!
I am so happy to hear from you. I was starting to get worried. You can absolutely make this in your slow cooker. Your house will smell wonderful. I hope the new kitchen project is going well.
Kitchen project is nutzo but it will all be worth it! I can’t wait to try your dish and I’ll let you know how it goes. 😁
[…] I used the slow cooker to make a recipe that caught my eye on my blog buddy Bernadette’s site: PASTA FAGIOLI WITH KALE – not a love story – New Classic Recipe. I had to make a few minor substitutions, but it still turned out terrific—I’ve linked it here, […]
Can’t wait to read about how this turned out and what changes you made.
I’m sorry, Bernadette– my crazy kitchen remodel has kept me jumping and I didn’t realize you had commented on my pingback. I shared the link to your original recipe here when I described making it in the slow cooker, in the DINING room! Haha
I followed your version of the recipe except for a couple substitutions. I don’t have Calabrian chile paste so I subbed in the Trader Joe’s “Bomba” and I only had a half bag of kale. It was really delicious and comforting!
Yes, the Bomba makes a great substitute. I am teach some high school classes next week and I am using this recipe. It is going to be so much fun.
That looks really good. Kale isn’t my favorite either. I buy a bunch, intending to use it in everything. Instead I use a little in whatever recipe I’m making and then feed the rest to my chickens. 🤷♀️
Hi Kristie, I do the same thing only I don’t have chickens!
😂