Easy Vodka Pasta with Kale
An easy dinner featuring the super easy trending vodka pasta sauce (Gigi Hadid style) with added kale and olives bringing it extra texture and flavor. It feels like a real treat despite its simplicity, so it's perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner or date night in!
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz (225 g) dried pasta
- 2 handfuls kale, chopped
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
- ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) tomato paste
- 1 tsp red pepper or chili flakes
- 2 tbsp vodka
- ⅓ cup (6 Tbsp) black olives, sliced
- ½ cup (120 ml) cream
- 1 tbsp (15 g) salted butter
- ½ cup (120 ml) pasta cooking water
- ⅓ cup (35 g) parmesan, pecorino or Italian hard cheese
- fresh basil, optional garnish
Instructions
- Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready, then set the pasta going according to package instructions. The sauce will come together in the same time it takes the pasta to cook.8 oz dried pasta
- Heat the olive oil in a deep sided saute pan, over a low heat. Add the sliced shallot to the pan and saute until soft, then add the garlic and cook until the fragrance is released - this will only be a matter of seconds so be prepared to move to the next step quickly.4 Tbsp olive oil, 1 shallot, 2 large cloves garlic
- Add the red pepper or chili flakes and tomato paste and saute for a few minutes, keeping the heat low, until the tomato paste has turned a little darker and formed a rich oily base. Add salt and pepper to taste.1 tsp red pepper or chili flakes, 1/4 cup tomato paste
- Now add the vodka, and allow it to bubble in the pan for just a few moments. There will be a fairly harsh alcoholic smell, but once that settles down, add the cream to the pan and mix through.1/2 cup cream, 2 tbsp vodka
- Scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add most of it to the pan (hold back about 1/4 of it) and stir through to incorporate it into the sauce. Cover and turn off the heat until the pasta is ready.1/2 cup pasta cooking water
- Once your pasta only has a couple of minutes left to cook, add the kale to the pan, using a spoon to push it down and immerse it in the water.2 handfuls kale
- Once the pasta is al dente and the kale is bright green, drain and add to the sauce. Turn the heat back on to low. Add the butter, olives and the cheese and stir everything well until the cheese has melted through. Assess the texture of the sauce - if it's too thick, splash in some more of the pasta cooking water to loosen it up.1 tbsp salted butter, 1/3 cup parmesan, pecorino or Italian hard cheese, 1/3 cup black olives
- Serve immediately, with lots of basil for garnish.fresh basil
Notes
Servings: If this is a complete meal, we generally get two adult dinner portions + a little extra for one lunch the next day. I wouldn't count on getting three adult servings. You can easily double the recipe to feed a bigger crowd.
Calories: 652kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 465mg, Potassium: 548mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 3290IU, Vitamin C: 27mg, Calcium: 122mg, Iron: 2mg