Kale spaghetti with feta and almonds
Delicious vegetarian kale spaghetti with feta and almonds. This surprising combination is super easy to make and quick for a week night meal.
Kale spaghetti with feta
How I got to the idea to make this kale spaghetti I am not sure. Of course we all know the standard ways of making pasta. We all know the pasta bolognese or even a pasta aglio e olio or pasta salad. But kale and spaghetti are not in the ‘most used’ categorie. Or at least not where I’m from. Which is odd considering that kale is a big hit every winter here in the Netherlands. We tend to eat it as a mash though and not necessarily in combination with pasta.
And that’s a shame, as this is a really good kale spaghetti. If it isn’t kale season where you live you could also make this with spinach or endive if you want. Different taste, but also good. Kale is usually a little firmer and I totally love it in this dish. Plus it’s also another way of using kale.
Vegetarian
This time I chose to make a vegetarian pasta. Firstly because I really don’t need meat every day of the week and you don’t miss it at all in this dish. The almonds and the feta give it a unique taste and crunch. I serve the kale spaghetti with additional parmesan cheese (everything is better with cheese, right?) and some fresh basil on top.
What goes into the kale spaghetti?
- Kale
- spaghetti
- feta
- cooking cream
- roasted almonds
- garlic
- chili flakes
- onion
- basil
- parmesan cheese
To make the kale spaghetti you need a rather big amount of kale. How much you end up using is a personal preference. I’ve noted down in the ingredients to use 500 gram of kale for four people. That is quite a lot but it will shrink quite a bit too in the pan. If you think it is too much just hold of with adding all of it and just use your best instinct in this regard.
You fry the kale together with onion and garlic until it becomes glossy and soft.
After the kale has been cooked you add some cream and feta so it can thicken and the feta can melt through the kale. Save some of the feta to sprinkle over the top for serving.
Chopped almonds
For the almonds I used regular unsalted almonds, but this is also delicious with smoked salted almonds. It does make the dish a bitter saltier too, so decide if you want that or not. Keep in mind that the feta also ads salt.
Frequently asked questions
You definitely can. If you choose to use frozen kale, you can either let it defrost before adding to the pan. If the kale is packaged in little cubes you can add them directly to the pan and let them defrost there. That will take a little longer and might make the end dish more liquid. Let the liquid evaporate while cooking to prevent that happening.
This dish will go really well with some chicken added to it. You can season the chicken with pepper, salt and maybe a little bit of smoked paprika. Add them at the end of step 2.
If you have leftovers you can refridgerate and keep for two days. It is easily reheated. Keep the almonds separate if you know you want to reheat later. They will stay crunchy if you keep them out of the spaghetti. You can also freeze this dish for later use.
Kale spaghetti met feta and almonds
Ingredients
- 300 gr spaghetti
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 clove garlic sliced
- 1 onion finely cut
- 500 gr kale cleaned and cut into small pieces
- 75 gr almonds roasted and chopped
- 100 gr feta crumbled (plus extra for serving)
- 50 ml single cream or double cream
- 50 gr parmesan cheese grated
- fresh basil for serving
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions while you prepare the rest of the dish. Save some of the cooking liquid when draining.
- Place a large frying pan or wok on medium heat with the olive oil. First add the onion and bake until translucent. Add the garlic and the chili flakes and bake for a few minutes.
- Add the kale and bake till it becomes glossy and cooked.
- Crumble the feta over the pan and let it melt into the dish. Add some of the cooking cream and leave it to thicken.
- Serve the spaghetti with the kale and sprinkle with the chopped almonds, fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Information per portion
Disclaimer
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
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4 comments on “Kale spaghetti with feta and almonds”
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Dear Simone, so glad to find you. I am so happy to see so many vibrant and healthy dishes here! Thank you so much!
Ah thanks so much! I’m glad you like the dishes!
This looks great! I sometimes use feta and spinach with pasta, but never thought of using kale. I will, though! Terrific recipe — thanks.
Thanks John. Yes it’s a great combination!