My kitchen would not be complete without a stash of nut/seed cream (so much so, in fact, I made a video for the pantry reset series.) It's a lovely addition to soups, porridge, dressings, or sauces. This kale pasta is the perfect way to use the sunflower cream. The pasta comes together fast and also features garlicky kale (that can be made ahead of time.) Use your favorite pasta and you have an easy weeknight dinner.
Kale Pasta with Sunflower Cream Sauce
A delicious, vegan pasta that uses garlicky kale and tossed with an easy sunflower cream sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
Pasta:
4 ounces pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups shredded kale
1 clove garlic, minced
Sauce:
⅓ cup soaked sunflower seed
⅓ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch of salt
Chili flakes, as needed
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to direction, drain, reserving the liquid, and set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, just until fragrant. Add the kale to the pan and continue to cook for for a minute or two, just to start the kale wilting. Once the kale has wilted slighting, remove from the heat and add the pasta.
- Combine the soaked sunflower seeds with the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, smoked paprika, and salt in a high-speed blender. Puree until smooth. Add to the pan and toss. Add a splash or two of reserved pasta water as needed to thin and coat the noodles. Serve with a sprinkle of chili flakes as needed.
Notes
Tips + Tricks: I typically soak the sunflower seeds for two hours before making. Make the sunflower cream ahead of time for a quick dinner.
Stock up on the Pantry Ingredients: sunflower seeds, kale
Step by Step
Kale Pasta
variations
The three components can easily be adapted for whatever you have on hand. Change up the sauce, swap out the greens, or change up the pasta. It's all up to you and what's fresh!
Cashews/Almonds: Swap the sunflower cream for cashews cream or almond cream.
Greens: Swap the kale for chard, collards or spinach. You can also do a mix of greens- us whatever you have!
Pasta: This is great with grains or alternative pasta.
Explore Sunflower Seeds
I keep a fairly extensive collection of nuts and seeds on hand whether it's for a snack, nut-burger, or salads. Sunflower seeds are one of my go-to salad toppings and I love sunflower seed butter (I might love it more than peanut butter, which is saying quite a bit). I typically only buy raw sunflower seeds and toast them before using.
Roasted Delicata Squash Salad with Bulgur
Chickpea Burgers with Spinach
Millet Porridge with Lemon Curd and Sunflower Seeds
Maggie Shafer says
Hi Erin! I was planning on making this for dinner tonight but realized I accidentally bought roasted sunflower seeds instead of raw. Can I still soak them for the sauce or is it necessary they are raw?
Erin Alderson says
It's not necessary- I find the raw puree a bit smoother but I've definitely used roasted before!
Mayelin says
I made this! Although, I already had cashew sauce prepared so used that instead; nevertheless, the creaminess of the sauce mixed with the garlicky kale and hearty pasta proved a delicious flavor combination! And so so easy to make! Thanks!
Didian says
Wow, that was yum
I did 1tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
When garlic was golden I added about 6mushrooms cut
2tbsp water and cooked mushrooms
Then added kale
It was booooomb, that sauce is gold
★★★★★