Pesto & Kale Pasta with Goat Cheese

Pesto & Kale Pasta

with Goat Cheese

20 MIN
2 Servings
Wellness at Blue Apron
Find recipes that suit your lifestyle with our new nutritionist-approved dietary tags.
Vegetarian
These recipes don’t contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.* They’re made with fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. *Select artisanal cheeses may contain animal-derived rennet.
Carb Conscious
These meals have 48g or less of net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) per serving. They replace refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
600 Calories Or Less
Coming in at 600 calories or less per serving, these recipes are ideal for those choosing to monitor their caloric intake without sacrificing flavor. The US Food & Drug Administration uses 2000 calorie daily intake for general advice. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of the total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.
Wellness Grain
These recipes feature grains such as barley, quinoa, farro, orzo, couscous and more, handpicked by our Culinary team in collaboration with our Registered Dietitian.
Pescatarian
These recipes feature a wide array of nutritious seafood options like salmon, cod, tilapia, crab, and shrimp. While these dishes never contain meat, pork or poultry, they may contain animal derived ingredients such as milk, butter, cheese and/or honey.
To view a recipe's full nutrition information, head to your Upcoming page at blueapron.com, click on a specific recipe, then head to the Nutrition tab and select 'View Full Nutrition.' Nutrition Facts Panels are available up to 1.5 weeks in advance

From the Test Kitchen

This quick-cooking pasta gets a one-two punch of irresistible flavor from a dollop of creamy goat cheese for delicious tang and our herbaceous basil pesto, stirred into the warm pasta and garlicky kale just before serving. A touch of crushed red pepper cooked alongside the kale adds a little kick of heat throughout the dish.
CLICK FOR RECIPE CARD

Get Plans

Dietary Information

Vegetarian
  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    720 Cals (est.)
View Full Nutrition
Nutrition Label
Download
fresh
ingredients
Pesto & Kale Pasta with Goat Cheese
Title
  • 10 oz Fresh Cavatelli Pasta (Previously Frozen)
  • 1 bunch Kale
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • ⅓ cup Basil Pesto
  • ¼ cup Grated Romano Cheese
  • 2 Tbsps Spreadable Goat Cheese
  • 2 Tbsps Sliced Roasted Almonds
  • ¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the kale. Separate the leaves from the stems; discard the stems, then roughly chop the leaves. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic.

Cook the pasta:
2 Cook the pasta:

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, 11 to 13 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly.

Cook the kale:
3 Cook the kale:

Meanwhile, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped garlic and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly softened. Add the chopped kale; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Add 1/4 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat.

Finish & serve your dish:
4 Finish & serve your dish:

To the pan of cooked kale, add the cooked pasta, goat cheese, and half the reserved pasta cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until combined and the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat. Add the pesto and stir to coat (if necessary, gradually add the remaining cooking water to ensure the pasta is thoroughly coated). Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished pasta garnished with the romano and almonds. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the kale. Separate the leaves from the stems; discard the stems, then roughly chop the leaves. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic.

2 Cook the pasta:

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, 11 to 13 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly.

Cook the pasta:
Cook the kale:
3 Cook the kale:

Meanwhile, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped garlic and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly softened. Add the chopped kale; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Add 1/4 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat.

4 Finish & serve your dish:

To the pan of cooked kale, add the cooked pasta, goat cheese, and half the reserved pasta cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until combined and the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat. Add the pesto and stir to coat (if necessary, gradually add the remaining cooking water to ensure the pasta is thoroughly coated). Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished pasta garnished with the romano and almonds. Enjoy!

Finish & serve your dish:
Browse Steps
1 of 4