This Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Kale Pasta is so easy to make, super healthy, and kid-approved. It’s rich, creamy, and the perfect dish for a midweek meal.
Sometimes it takes a good swift kick in the lower food regions to make a change. The truth is you can eat better and healthier and it doesn’t have to be complicated or tasteless. So, let’s make some Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Kale Pasta.
Everyone loves a good carb coma once in a while, especially with creamy pastas! But, even vegan ones can be loaded with so much fat and crap they’re just not healthy. Well, not this bad boy! So, go ahead and put on your favorite sweat pants. It’s time to INDULGE!
I love sun-dried tomatoes! They provide the perfect amount of “tang” to tickle the tastebuds and have a very “meaty” texture. Nutritional yeast, or nooch as we veteran plant-basers like to say, gives this pasta its cheesy flavor. If you’ve never used nutritional yeast, you need to start…NOW! Learn it. Live it. Love it! It’s an absolute game changer.
And, just where does all that creamy goodness come from without using dairy? Well, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to use liquid flesh – a.k.a. dairy – to get the rich creamy texture you desire in a good pasta dish. Unsweetened almond milk and some veggie broth work just fine as you will soon taste and see. And, it’ll keep you off the cholesterol medication. Again, you’re welcome.
And, let us not forget the jolly green giant of nutrition in this recipe…KALE! Can you think of a better way to eat kale than letting it slide down your gullet coated in rich, creamy, cheesy sauce? I sure as hell can’t. And, for a third time…YOU’RE WELCOME.
Trust me, you’re going to love this dish. Why? Because it’s…
Tangy
Cheesy
Rich
Creamy
Crazy healthy
Loaded with flavor
Simple to make
& SO FREAKING GOOD
Want more of a cheesy kick, my Plant-Based Parmesan is perfect for topping! It’s quick and super simple to whip up.
If this doesn’t fix your cheese craving and you’re longing for a little more, there’s always my Game Day Cheese Dip. One bite and you’ll be hooked!
Be sure and let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, take a picture, post it on Instagram and tag the photo #shaneandsimple so I can see your dish. If you want to be kept up to speed on all that’s going down with Shane & Simple and my latest recipes – SUBSCRIBE HERE!
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Kale Pasta
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Creamy sauces, even the vegan ones, are usually full of fat and not healthy. But not this bad boy! My Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Kale Pasta is tangy, rich, decadent, and yes, creamy! It all comes together in less than 30 minutes so it’s perfect when you want something quick, delicious, and healthy. Perfect for a mid-week meal.
Ingredients
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoon. tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon. salt
- ½ teaspoon. black pepper
- 4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (get the ones not packed in oil)
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium veggie broth
- 2 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk (or plant milk of choice)
- 1 pound whole grain penne pasta (or pasta of choice)
- 5 oz. fresh chopped kale
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- Crushed red pepper flakes to sprinkle on top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat nonstick skillet on medium-high heat.
- While pan is heating chop onions and slice sun-dried tomatoes into strips length-wise.
- Once pan is ready, add the onions and cook until they are soft. Then add garlic with a couple tablespoons of water and cook for 30 seconds to a minute.
- Stir in tomato paste and combine well with onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Toss in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for just a minute or two.
- Pour in the veggie broth and plant milk, increase heat, and bring to a slight boil.
- Add the uncooked pasta, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add kale, stir well to combine and cook until it starts to wilt. Then, add nutritional yeast and stir until pasta is smooth and creamy.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Notes
*The key to seasoning your food really well with spices is allowing your spices to toast. So, add them when you are cooking your onions, etc. The spices will cook into your food and season much better.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 7.6 g
- Sodium: 273 mg
- Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.3 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 11.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Shane, this recipe was brilliant! I used brown rice fusilli and added mushrooms. I blended a heaping 1/2 cup raw cashews with 2.5 ish cups water to use as my milk. I needed to use about 1 cup more liquid than recipe calls for, likely due to the high starch content of the rice pasta and the addition of the shrooms. I also used a Dutch oven instead of a skillet and I’m glad I did – more room to stir it all together.
Bravo! Great recipe.
★★★★★
Thank you so much. And, LOVE, your workarounds. Bravo!
This sounds delicious. I planned on making this tonight thinking I had all the ingredients, but I just noticed that my dry sun dried tomatoes container is only 2 ounces. Can I add cherry tomatoes along with the sun dried to make up for the difference?
Just use what you got:) I like to say most amounts are just recommendations.
Bellissimo!! I loved it, but then again, I wasn’t surprised. I’ve come to trust your recipes. Every one I’ve tried is simply awesome. Thank you for yet another great one!
★★★★★
Awww, Joanie! That’s so kind. Thank you!!!
This was delicious & so easy! I love a one pan meal. I added a can of beans, so good. Again, thank you; so glad I found your site!
★★★★★
Thank you, Rose Ann! I’m glad you found it too:)
I wouldn’t believe this doesn’t have cheese in it, except that I made it myself! A very delicious and beautiful dish…company worthy.
★★★★★
Thank you, Donna!
YUM!!!
★★★★★
Very easy to make but the sun dried tomatoes made it rather sweet and not as savory as I had hoped. I used a 3 oz package of tomatoes and it was too sweet with that smaller amount. Don’t think I will make it again. It also makes a HUGE amount.
★★★★
Made this last night with unsweetened soy milk. Everyone, even my Iowa farm boy husband, really liked it! Thanks for an easy, yummy, healthy recipe, Shane!
★★★★★
This was delicious! I’m vegetarian so used reduced fat milk and cheddar cheese (forgive me, I’m not yet vegan!) and it turned out luscious and creamy. Will be a favourite
I was so excited for this recipe because it is full of ingredients I love but this one wasn’t quite a hit. I think if I were to do it again I would swap out the plant milk for veggie broth. We all agreed the plant milk gave it an off taste, might of been the unsweetened soy milk I used. I will give it another go because I love sundried tomatoes and every other recipe I have made of yours I loved.
Hey, Stephanie. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out so well. Thanks for letting me know. Yes, I would try unsweetened almond milk of veggie broth. I’ve never tried with soy milk so I can’t say for sure that’s what it was. Let em know should you try again. Blessings.
I look forward to making this next week! How many days do you think it would keep in the fridge?
3-5 days.
Made this tonight and the whole family loved it!
★★★★★
Looks delicious. Can this be made in an instant pot or slow cooker? If so, how can I adapt it? My stove in on the blink now (unfortunate timing with a shelter in place order), and the main ‘cooking ‘ vessels I have is the instant pot and slow cooker. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Hi, Leslie. And, yes, terrible timing. I’m so sorry. Let me think on that for a moment and see what I can come up with.
Thank you. No worries if it can’t be adapted.
Cooked almost exactly as your directions state.The box of Penne I purchased was 14.5 oz. This needed the amount of liquid you recommended. This was delicious!!!!!!!
Yeah!
I made this for dinner tonight…. It was super yummy. So quick & easy 🙂 Thank you 🙂 x
This looks amazing!
Thinking of making with Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi instead of penne pasta. Would I have to reduce the amount of liquid if using pre-cooked pasta?
Great question, Amy. I’ve never tried with pre-cooked pasta. Maybe start off reducing a little and see how that works. You can always add a lot better than take away:)
Just made this today. Only had whole grain fettuccine, and it still was beyond delicious! So quick and easy, and the flavors were spot on. Only thing I did differently was hydrate some dried mushrooms, and used them and some of their soaking water in the dish. Thank you so much, I so appreciate your user friendly recipes.
★★★★★
Thank you, Janice! Love the dried mushroom addition. And, way to use what you’ve got. That’s what it’s all about. Blessings.
Hi Janice!
I’ve searching everywhere for whole grain fettuccine. Can you let me know where you found it and the brand?
Thank you!
Did you reconstitute the sun-dried tomatoes first or not? Looks yummy!
Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. LOL! It doesn’t hurt to do it. But, I’ve had no problems if I don’t.
Can the leftovers be frozen?
I’m not sure how well pasta freezes. But, we usually store this in the fridge for up to a week (if there are any leftovers) 🙂 Hope this helps! Blessings.
I want to make this but have lots of bean noodles and quinoa elbows, etc. Both take only about 3 minutes to cook normally. I don’t want to ruin them but I really want to make it the way you suggest. Any ideas??
Christia, you should be fine as you are not boiling them so it will take a little longer for them to cook. I would just check and see as you go. That’s what cooking is all about:)
Omg!! I made this for dinner tonight for the first time and it was delicious!! Even my non-vegan 16 yo son liked it!!
★★★★★
Wow! Elise, that’s so great. Thanks for letting me know and so glad you all enjoyed it. Blessings.
Unlike so many other WFPBNO dishes, this one does NOT taste like a compromise, and it was even better the next day! Rich, satisfying, creamy, flavorful with a little spicy. Thank you! I am officially a fan!
★★★★★
Nancy, thanks for reaching out and for the kinds words. So glad you are here and you enjoy the recipes. Keep in touch. Peace.
I am so happy to have found this recipe. My husband swore it had cheese in it (I had to show him the recipe so he would believe me when I said it was vegan), and my 12-year-old daughter asked for a second helping, licked the bowl, and asked me to make it every night. I didn’t use the red pepper flakes, my daughter doesn’t like spicy foods very much, and I used frozen chopped kale (because I’m lazy and I hate dealing with fresh kale). I also used cashew milk, because that’s what I had. A complete and utter success, this is definitely going in my recipe book!
★★★★★
Angel, that is so great! Pumped they liked it and thanks for the kind words.
I was excited about this until I saw how much nutritional yeast is there. I almost gag over it. Is it there for the nutritional value or the cheesy taste? Wondering if I could make it 2 tsp and still have it work.
Sheila, it’s for the cheesy flavor. I say try it. You can always add more.
Sheila, I didn’t really like nooch until I tried KAL brand, it’s so tasty (even plain). I’m making this for dinner tonight… thanks Shane!
Delivered on every level….loved it! Thanks
★★★★★
That’s awesome!!! So glad you like it.
Thank you!
Great recipe! I used coconut milk, gai choy, and edamame spaghetti. Also added chopped almonds to the nutritional yeast. Balsamic at the end. Also mushrooms. Delicious ?
★★★★★
Sounds amazing! Way to make it your own. Can’t wait to try it like this myself:)
Could the vegetable broth be made with a stock pot?
Sure.
This was great!I will certainly make again.
It was a lot for 2 people so how is the best way to reheat the leftovers?
What would be the best way to take to a covered dish dinner?
I would also give it a 5 star.
I love your recipes!
Thank, Char! Usually the way I like to reheat is just throw it in the microwave if it’s just for me. But, on the occasion I’m heating for 2 or more, I’ll add just a little almond milk and heat in the oven at 225 degrees until it’s warm. If taking to a covered dish, I would make it so it would be finished right before leaving. But, I’m also one who likes to live dangerously:)
★★★★★
This looks amazing. I love all the different colors in it.
Thank you!
It was good, the family had some reservations, but I think if I change out kale for spinach, and add more liquid (my penne took an extra 5+ min to cook, and therefore wasn’t very creamy), and add the paprika like you mentioned, they’ll like it. Because I liked it, and I *am* making it again. 🙂
★★★★
Joanna, thanks for sharing. All of cooking is testing and trying. But, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and really appreciate you reaching out to share. Blessings.
I want to make this but I only have the sundries tomatoes in oil. Have you any advice? Thanks.
I would simply say rinse them and use what you got. What we want to avoid is cooking and adding oils to our food.
Shane,
I made this today. It was really delicious. It made a lot too. My husband likes spicy food and he liked the spice in it. I did too, however, question, if I wanted to counter the spice some, what would you add? But overall, it’s really good. The creaminess made me think I had put cream in it.
★★★★★
That’s so great, Mary! Thanks for sharing. I would just decrease the spice or eliminate altogether. And, maybe replace with milder spices like paprika or smoked paprika. Hope this helps! Peace and feast.
★★★★★
This pasta is freaking awesome. I wouldn’t hesitate to bring this to the biggest meat grubbing crowd you know. They will snarf it up just like we are tonight. Serving it with corn on the cob.
Thanks so much, LouAnn! So, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing. Peace and feast.
I made this kinda changed it I had bow tie noodles and I’m not big on kale so used spinach. Very yummy.
Holly, this sounds great! Way to make it your own. Thanks for sharing. Blessings.
Not sure how I stumbled upon your blog—maybe you posted on FB and I followed the link. I’m so glad I did! This pasta was everything you said it was. So easy to make but so flavorful. Full of umami flavor. My husband usually puts noosh on all pastss but he felt the taste was so good and complete with this he didn’t use any…first time ever! Not that there is anything wrong with nutritional yeast—and the sauce had plenty in it already, but he actually was so satisfied with the flavor that he mindfully realized he didn’t need any more! This is so healthy and wonderful. The only tweak we did was cooking the pasta separately in boiling water since that was what we are used to—just didn’t know how it would cook in the sauce…but now that I’ve made one of your recipes, I will trust you completely. I hope you continue your blog—not enough guys who do WFPB blogs, so your doing it will inspire others. You write very well and have great photos…and the recipes! Keep up the godo work and thank you.
★★★★★
Creamy and delicious!
★★★★★
This looks really good, but I have a quick question. This seems like a lot of liquid….5 cups???? You indicate cooking for about 10 minutes after adding the pasta….does this give it time to cook down the liquid?
Yeah, I know. If you follow the method it works out just right. The liquid will cook down and once add the nutritional yeast at the end, it absorbs liquid as well to create the creaminess.