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Remember when kale was king back in the 2012 to 2015 era? We were chomping on kale chips, toting our "Kale Yeah" reusable bags to the farmer's market. Kale certainly had its moment and for good reason. It's packed with vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. It's fairly versatile and easy to grow in the garden.

While considered a cooler season crop, some varieties, such as Lacinato (aka Dino Kale or Tuscan Kale), thrives in warm temps. I've been growing Lacinato year round from day one in the garden. It's by far my favorite tasting kale along with being perfect for my zone 10 Mediterranean climate.

Think of this pasta as a summertime spin on a hearty kale, white bean soup. It's brightened up with a light punch of lemon juice and lemon zest. It comes together quickly and boasts 11 grams of fiber per serving.

Ingredients Needed for Kale Lemon Pasta

Pasta: I specifically call for Goodles Lucky Penne pasta. If you haven't tried this pasta, you must. It's packed with more protein and fiber than the standard penne but doesn't have any weird additives. It tastes exactly like a normal penne. I love, love love it. Of course you can use regular penne if preferred.

Kale: The star of the show. I use Lacinato kale because that's what's in my garden but it also is more tender and less bitter than any other variety of kale. You might find it under the name Dino or Tuscan kale. We only use the leaves, no stems in this recipe. We also chop the kale super fine, similar to how you would mince an herb. That makes the kale easy to chew and that much more tender and enjoyable to eat.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Pick a quality olive oil you enjoy the taste of as we use this to "dress" the pasta.

Italian Chicken Sausage: I love Trader Joe's Garlic and Herb or Spicy chicken sausage options. Chop them into small coins.

Shallot: For depth of flavor...pairs so well with all these other ingredients.

Lemon Juice and Zest: Just the right acidity and zip. Lemon and kale are a match made in heaven. The juice marinates the kale perfectly. Says summertime in a dish.

Chicken broth: Adds nice heartiness to the dish and helps ensure the pasta isn't too dry.

Navy Beans: More fiber and plant diversity here. Feel free to add a full cup if desired, just up the chicken broth a smidge.

Red Pepper Flakes: Just a hint of spice, this won't make you sweat, I promise.

Kale Lemon Pasta

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All the flavors that marry perfectly with kale combined into a bright, delicious summertime pasta. Finely minced kale paired with lemon, navy beans and hearty chicken sausage result in a lean, healthy pasta dish.

Author: Mary
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 25
Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

8 ounces Goodles Lucky Penne pasta

2 cups packed kale, destemmed

3 Tablespoons olive oil

3 Italian style chicken sausage links (9 oz total), cut into ¼” coins

1 shallot, minced

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup chicken broth

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup navy beans

½ teaspoon lemon zest

Parmesan cheese for topping

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Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Finely mince the kale similar to if mincing a herb and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken sausage and shallot to skillet and sauté until sausage is slightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, salt, chicken broth, red pepper and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Add kale, navy beans and pasta to skillet and mix to incorporate.
Add lemon juice mixture into skillet and simmer for 2 minutes.
Add lemon zest to skillet and stir to incorporate.
Serve with generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.