Confession: I’ve always been scared of that large orange bag of baby kale at Costco. It looked so big and the baby kale looked so healthy. This recipe from Baker by Nature finally inspired me to stop being so intimidated and buy the bag; I am glad that I did. We were able to almost finish the four pounds of baby kale with this pasta, as a side to some salmon and with a few green smoothies. The baby kale is healthy tasting, like one big step up from spinach, but it is tasty sautéed with olive oil and garlic.
This kale pasta bake was an easy, weeknight dinner and I loved that I was getting my kids to eat something healthy and I was eating something cheesy. It’d be perfect for a track or swim team dinner the night before a big meet.
The ten year old and twelve year old ate this all gone. The seven year old picked out almost every piece of baby kale, but she was so distracted by that chore that she completely missed the mushrooms. I call that a win.
1 pound bow tie pasta, cooked al dente
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large roasted red pepper, sliced into thin strips (I used a canned roasted red pepper.)
1/2 pound mushrooms, diced
1 pound baby kale, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella
Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions until the pasta is al dente. You don’t want to overcook here or the pasta bake will get all mushy.
Drain the noodles, return to the pan and stir with a tablespoon or so of olive oil so the noodles don’t stick together.
Heat oil in a medium fry-pan over medium heat. Add the onion and stir until the onion has softened, about five minutes. Add the pepper, mushrooms and kale and continue to cook for three minutes, or until the kale has shrunken. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the marinara sauce and continue to heat until the marinara sauce is warmed. Remove from heat.
Turn on your oven broiler. Prepare a 9X13 inch pan for baking by either rubbing with butter or spraying with non-stick spray.
Stir the cooked noodles into the sauce mixture and add the ricotta cheese and stir until it is all mixed together. Dump the noodle mixture into the prepared 9X13 baking dish. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and a couple of tablespoons of parmesan.
Place the baking dish in the oven on the middle rack and broil for 5-6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
- 1 pound bow tie pasta, cooked al dente
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 large roasted red pepper, sliced into thin strips (I used a canned roasted red pepper.)
- ½ pound mushrooms, diced
- 1 pound baby kale, chopped fine
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1½ cups shredded Mozzarella
- Parmesan cheese
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions until the pasta is al dente. You don't want to overcook here or the pasta bake will get all mushy.
- Drain the noodles, return to the pan and stir with a tablespoon or so of olive oil so the noodles don't stick together.
- Heat oil in a medium fry-pan over medium heat. Add the onion and stir until the onion has softened, about five minutes. Add the pepper, mushrooms and kale and continue to cook for three minutes, or until the kale has shrunken. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the marinara sauce and continue to heat until the marinara sauce is warmed. Remove from heat.
- Turn on your oven broiler. Prepare a 9X13 inch pan for baking by either rubbing with butter or spraying with non-stick spray.
- Stir the cooked noodles into the sauce mixture and add the ricotta cheese and stir until it is all mixed together. Dump the noodle mixture into the prepared 9X13 baking dish. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and a couple of tablespoons of parmesan.
- Place the baking dish in the oven on the middle rack and broil for 5-6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
This dish looks fabulous girls!!