June 6, 2016

Entree | Meatless Monday

Skinny Broccoli Kale Pasta Bake #kalepasta

Name: Skinny Broccoli Kale Pasta Bake
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 Tbsp White Flour; 2 Tsp Vegetable Oil; 1 Tbsp Butter - unsalted; 1/2 Cup Water; Salt - as per taste; Pepper - as per taste; 1 Medium Onion; 1 Cup Broccoli; 1/2 Cup Kale; 2 Tbsp Olive Oil; 3 Tbsp Cashew Powder; 1/4 Cup Cheese; 1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs; 1 Tbsp Red Chili Flakes - optional; 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning - optional; 2 Cups Macaroni Pasta; 5 Cups Water; 1/4 Tsp Salt; 1 Tbsp Olive Oi

Jump to Recipe

Skinny Broccoli Kale Pasta Bake is a creamy and delicious blend of pasta, kale and broccoli baked to perfection with Italian seasoning. Perfect weeknight dinner

My Skinny Broccoli Kale Pasta Bake recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight menu or just when you want a comforting yet slightly healthier meal.

Also, when you have literally and I mean Literally binged the whole weekend with your favorite drinks, desserts, meats, etc.

That’s exactly when this Skinny Broccoli Kale Pasta Bake comes to your rescue and we must have made this recipe endless times !!

Now, if you’re thinking what’s so new about this pasta bake:

First it’s a lighter version than our regular cheesy pasta bakes.

Second, the sauce contains cashew powder which gives it a creamy and delicious flavor.

Trust me ‘cashew powder’ is a magical thing, add it to whatever recipe you want (smoothies/ curry/bakes/).

The cashew powder gives this rich creamy taste without adding many calories.

Which I feel is truly Awesome!

Ingredients for Skinny Broccoli Kale Pasta Bake

2 Cups Macaroni Pasta
5 Cups Water
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Olive Oi

For the Kale Broccoli Mix:
1 Medium Onion
1 Cup Broccoli
1/2 Cup Kale
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Cashew Powder
1/4 Cup Cheese
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 Tbsp Red Chili Flakes – optional
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning – optional

— White Sauce Ingredients —
4 Tbsp White Flour
2 Tsp Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp Butter – unsalted
1/2 Cup Water
Salt – as per taste
Pepper – as per taste

The best part is you can make the cashew powder at home.

Just grind a handful of raw or roasted (saltless) cashews together and here you go.

You are ready with a 100% natural ingredient that is super yum and you can pop it into an air-tight jar for later use too.

For this Skinny Broccoli Kale Pasta Bake, I made a lighter version of white sauce (also known as ‘roux’ in the culinary world) at home and it’s super simple.

All I did was use half vegetable oil and half butter to make the sauce (which cuts down the calorie instead of using all butter).

Process for Broccoli Kale Pasta Bake

If you’ are not a fan of kale or if it’s not easily available, you may use spinach or any other leafy vegetables of choice.

At time’s when I know that the next day is going to be extremely hectic (you can call crazy too), I usually follow these steps and prep night before:

Boil the pasta, add some olive oil (so they don’t stick) and keep in an air-tight container in the fridge.
I saute the broccoli-kale mix a night before and keep in an air-tight jar.
Also, try making the white sauce beforehand (you can keep it for 2-3 days in the fridge).

Now, if I’ve followed all the above steps, dinner becomes a breeze as all I’ve to do is mix everything together.

Sprinkle some homemade or store-bought bread crumbs (for that extra crunch and texture) and bake for 15 minutes at 190F.

In those 15 minutes that the pasta is baking, you can take a quick shower/change or simply unwind.

As your dinner is ready which includes delicious greens, nuts and packed with fantastic flavors.

Give this Skinny Broccoli Kale Pasta Bake a try this week and enjoy it with family.

Until next time ~ XoXo

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Tried Our Recipe – AWESOME!!!

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Yield: 4 People