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Home » Recipes

Weeknight Mushroom and Kale Pasta

Easy Weeknight Mushroom and Kale Pasta from 100 Days of #RealFood #pasta

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This is one of those dishes where my 6-year-old will yell from upstairs, “Mommy, what are you making?!? It smells sooooo good down there!” That girl loves to eat good food, and I love to make it, which makes us a perfect match. This recipe is also the only time I’ve ever seen my 8-year-old actually eat mushrooms and somewhat enjoy them.

See, even though I know she “doesn’t like” mushrooms, I make them anyway and just try to serve them different ways in different dishes. And once in a blue moon, all that hard work pays off when they eat (and enjoy) something new - score!

Easy Weeknight Mushroom and Kale Pasta from 100 Days of #RealFood

Weeknight Mushroom and Kale Pasta

Here's a great quick and easy weeknight dinner that even if you or your family isn't a fan of mushrooms, you might be surprised. This Mushroom and Kale Pasta is so tasty and pairs well with a simple side salad.
30 Reviews / 4.9 Average
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Method: Freezer Friendly
Diet: Egg Free, Peanut/Tree Nut-Free, Vegetarian
Print Recipe
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces whole-wheat pasta (boiled and drained according to pasta directions)
  • 1 ounce mushrooms (dried)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 shallots (diced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 2 cups kale (with big stems removed and cut into strips)
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • pepper (to taste)
  • ⅓ cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

Instructions
 

  • In a small pot, add the dried mushrooms and cover with water (minimum of 1 ½ cups). Bring to a boil and cook until the mushrooms have softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain while reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Dice the cooked mushrooms (I do this by using culinary scissors).
  • In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Pour in the white wine and turn up the heat so the mixture comes to a boil. Cook until the wine almost completely boils off, about 3 to 4 minutes (if you are doubling this recipe, it will take longer).
  • Pour in the 1 cup of the reserved mushroom cooking liquid and cook until reduced by half.
  • Turn the heat back down to medium and add the heavy cream, kale, salt, and pepper to the pan. Cook until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 more minutes. Fold in the noodles, garnish with Parmesan, and serve.

Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Weeknight Mushroom and Kale Pasta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 492 Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Cholesterol 84mg28%
Sodium 361mg16%
Potassium 425mg12%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 4250IU85%
Vitamin C 42.2mg51%
Calcium 206mg21%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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26.5K shares

About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Kate says

    January 07, 2014 at 3:04 pm

    Sounds delicious! Mushrooms were a food I HATED as a child - until my first year of university when I decided it was high time I grow up and learn to like them. Now I can't imagine ever wanting them out of my diet.

    Reply
  2. Kristi says

    January 07, 2014 at 12:16 pm

    Looks good. Looks like a perfect weeknight dinner idea.

    Reply
  3. Anna says

    January 07, 2014 at 9:14 am

    This sounds so good but we don't ever buy or drink wine so I was wondering what would be agood substitute?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      January 07, 2014 at 4:09 pm

      Use chicken or vegetable broth

      Reply
  4. Amy says

    January 07, 2014 at 6:46 am

    5 stars
    I made this tonight...my husband and I both loved it. Thanks for the great recipes.

    Reply
  5. Connie says

    January 06, 2014 at 11:55 pm

    What is the calorie count on this meal please?
    It looks so good but concerned about the calories in it.

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 08, 2014 at 3:48 pm

      Hi Connie. We do not provide calorie/nutrition info on our recipes. Our goal here is to get people off the processed stuff and, in turn, eating real food. We do not focus on numbers. Most people find themselves eating less when they are eating real because it is far more satisfying and often more nutritious than something you might eat out of a box or a can. :) ~Amy

      Reply
  6. Kristen says

    January 06, 2014 at 11:28 pm

    I read this and decided on the spot to make it tonight since I had most ingredients in my pantry. I'm trying hard to like kale and thought it sounded like a way to make it a little more palatable to me. I really enjoyed but made some tweaks based on what I had: used fresh mushrooms and chicken broth instead of the wine and mushroom reserve. I also blistered some cherry tomatoes (Harris-Teeter had them on the weekend e-vic sale and I'd stocked up) and I also added some white beans for additional protein, and some basil, oregano and smoked paprika. I thought it was delicious and am looking forward to some of the "planned overs" for breakfast tomorrow. A good kale recipe, yay!!

    Reply
  7. Berry says

    January 06, 2014 at 10:21 pm

    Wondering the calorie count on this, if it has heavy cream and pasta in it I would not consider this to be that healthy of a meal. Don't get me wrong the veggies are good!

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 08, 2014 at 4:47 pm

      Hi Berry. I'm copying you on my response for a similar concern: "Our goal here is to get people off the processed stuff and, in turn, eating real food. We do not focus on numbers. Most people find themselves eating less when they are eating real because it is far more satisfying and often more nutritious than something you might eat out of a box or a can." ~Amy

      Reply
  8. Diane says

    January 06, 2014 at 9:42 pm

    Sounds so much like what we were preparing for dinner, except my husband is vegan, so we added some wine, and I will serve mine with parmesan. I am drooling!

    Reply
  9. Nicole says

    January 06, 2014 at 9:28 pm

    Looks great! I'm going to add this to my meal plan for the weekend :)

    Reply
  10. Melissa says

    January 06, 2014 at 9:20 pm

    Made this for dinner. It was really good and my kids loved it. I used regular mushrooms and chicken broth instead of the mushroom reserve and ended up tasting great. Thanks for the new recipe!
    I don't know if you noticed, but in your recipe you put add heavy kale and cream. Im sure you meant it the other way. :) Although I did add extra kale. :)

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 06, 2014 at 9:39 pm

      LOL - thank you for pointing that out! It has been fixed :)

      Reply
  11. Melinda says

    January 06, 2014 at 9:08 pm

    Looks amazing! Love all these ingredients - and this is a great recipe to make little changes to depending on what you have in the fridge.

    Reply
  12. Tori says

    January 06, 2014 at 8:44 pm

    I made this tonight and it was delicious! Great recipe! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes and tips.

    Reply
  13. Jen says

    January 06, 2014 at 7:47 pm

    5 stars
    made with chicken and spinach as I didn't have kale. YUMMO!!!

    Reply
  14. Davis says

    January 06, 2014 at 5:33 pm

    This sounds delicious, but are you not concerned with using wine? I am not a wine drinker, but the few bottles of wine that I have looked at, don't list the ingredients? Is there a way to know what's in your wine? Aren't sulfites often added to wine? I would love some input. :)

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      January 07, 2014 at 8:28 pm

      There are some organic wines where they will list no sulfites added and the wines from Europe tend to not have as much.

      Reply
  15. laramealor.com says

    January 06, 2014 at 5:33 pm

    4 stars
    This looks so good can not wait to try!

    Reply
  16. Andrea says

    January 06, 2014 at 3:28 pm

    I know this has probably been asked before, but I'm relatively new here. Do you ever post the nutritional information for your recipes, and if not, why not?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 21, 2014 at 11:00 pm

      We do not provide nutrition information on our recipes. Our focus is on helping people cut out processed food while replacing them with real/whole foods. These posts help explain our philosophy: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/, https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/23/portion-size-matters/, and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-reasons-to-cut-out-processed-food/. ~Amy

      Reply
  17. Ashley says

    January 06, 2014 at 3:13 pm

    I happen to have all of these ingredients in my pantry/fridge…yes! Dinner for tomorrow is done :)

    Reply
  18. Kayla says

    January 06, 2014 at 2:57 pm

    Lisa! Mushrooms are eeking their way into our meals as well. My 4 year old picked them out at the store a few months ago as her "treat" (what? my thoughts as well) so..of course I bought them and made her try one. She literally threw it up. But for Christmas this year she got an organic mini mushroom box that you water and now the mushrooms are exploding out of the box and she is DYING to eat them!! Now I have a good recipe to use them in. Thanks!

    Reply
  19. Courtney says

    January 06, 2014 at 1:36 pm

    I'm sorry, my phone is posting befire I am finished!!
    Anyway, any suggestions for whole foods eating while stuck there?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 09, 2014 at 8:48 am

      Hi Courtney. Sorry, getting to this after the fact. Hope you found some decent eats. :) ~Amy

      Reply
  20. Courtney says

    January 06, 2014 at 1:35 pm

    Hello! My sister and I are followers of your blog and fb page.
    I'm going to be stuck in the Charlotte airport overnight, due to a cancelled flight to Indianapolis.
    A

    Reply
  21. Courtney says

    January 06, 2014 at 1:34 pm

    Hello! My sister and I are foll

    Reply
  22. Jessica says

    January 06, 2014 at 1:19 pm

    I've never cooked with wine but I'd like to start. Is there any brand or specific type of wine that's best for cooking?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 15, 2014 at 10:23 am

      Hi Jessica. Not really. Just look for a dry red and a dry white. You can find organic wines, too. ~Amy

      Reply
  23. susan says

    January 06, 2014 at 1:08 pm

    Can you use FRESH mushrooms?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 21, 2014 at 10:51 pm

      Hi Susan. Fresh mushroom will work,too. ~Amy

      Reply
  24. Katherine says

    January 06, 2014 at 12:39 pm

    Could you use evaporated milk instead of the cream? I've heard that it's healthier but still tastes as rich.

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 21, 2014 at 10:51 pm

      Hi Katherine. Evaporated milk is not an ingredient we use but it would probably work. ~Amy

      Reply
  25. lindsay says

    January 06, 2014 at 12:38 pm

    your recipe instructions say add heavy kale, so move heavy in front of cream.

    Can't wait to get the Cookbook, Congrats all!!

    Reply
  26. Tiffany says

    January 06, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    I truly love your blog. I've been reading it for a little over 2 years now. But I have a hard time finding some of the ingredients you require. A lot of your answers are to look at your local health food stores. Well...where I live in PA, there really aren't many health food stores. Closest is over 45 mins away. At one point a Wegman's was going to be built close by (Probably the closest thing to a health food store around here), but couldn't because they were short so many acres that's required. This is mostly a venting comment on my situation. Poor me, I know. lol

    Reply
    • Jorie says

      January 06, 2014 at 1:50 pm

      Tiffany - have you ever tried FreshDirect.com? I personally haven't, but I have a colleague that is vegan/gluten-free/organic-only, and he uses it all the time. Not sure what pricing is like, but might be worth a try.

      Reply
    • Sally says

      January 06, 2014 at 2:29 pm

      I'm with you! We have a weird little grocery store (think rotten potatoes, 2 aisles of chips & nothing organic) 10 minutes from us. The "real" supermarket is 20 minutes north and the co-op is 15 minutes past that. & the closet health food store is 20 minutes in the opposite direction. :( But try http://www.localharvest.com

      Reply
    • Pat says

      January 06, 2014 at 3:04 pm

      Tiffany,
      My Son and Daughter-in-Law use a company called Door to Door Organics. They are based in Pa. I believe, and have a website that you can put in your Zip to see if they deliver to your area.
      They have produce, groceries and even meat!

      Reply
      • Karen D. says

        January 09, 2014 at 1:10 pm

        Thank you for letting us know about this. My mother lives in PA and was complaining that there wasn't an CSA that would deliver. This doesn't look completely like local produce but it's all organic and that's a step in the direction for her! YAY! Thank you!!

  27. Ayars says

    January 06, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    Melissa, Chicken Broth is a good subsitute for white wine!

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      January 06, 2014 at 2:23 pm

      Thanks! I've used it before; I just didn't know if that was my best option.

      Reply
  28. Melissa says

    January 06, 2014 at 12:29 pm

    I don't cook with alcolhol. I know there isn't anything that will sub for white wine exactly, but does anyone know of a good option? Thanks!

    Reply
  29. Linda says

    January 06, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    I've never used dried mushrooms. Can you get them at regular grocery stores or will it entail a Whole Foods run?

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      January 06, 2014 at 12:30 pm

      Linda, I know they have dried mushrooms at Dillons/Krogers/whatever version you have by you. :)

      Reply
    • Sally says

      January 06, 2014 at 2:26 pm

      My regular grocery store carries dried mushrooms in the produce department. They're sold in little bags on a rack, not in bulk.

      Reply
  30. Jasmine says

    January 06, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    There are a couple of things you can try. My daughter can't have dairy, either. I have used almond milk thickened with cornstarch, arrowroot, or tapioca powder to sub for cream in sauces- you have to play with your amounts and thickeners and stir constantly, just like making a white sauce with dairy. For cream, a really good vegan substitute is pureed silken tofu. You can even make desserts with it! 3/4 cup of heavy cream adds a lot of fat, cholesterol, and calories.

    Reply
    • Sara says

      January 06, 2014 at 12:42 pm

      Jasmine, when substiting the silken tofu for the heavy cream do you use the same amount of tofu as you would have the heavy cream? Also what kind do you use (firm, soft, etc) thanks :)

      Reply
  31. Anna says

    January 06, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    I find coconut milk usually works great instead of cream. We are on limited dairy in our house. Greek yogurt and sour cream usually work well too, cut with a little water or broth.

    Reply
  32. hali says

    January 06, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    Have you used fresh mushrooms? Not a fan of dried, and could I sub pasta water forleft over mushroom water?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 06, 2014 at 12:03 pm

      The reason I love dried mushrooms in this recipe is because of the wonderful broth you end up with after you bring them back to life...that right there would honestly be hard to replace with something else. Plus I find much more variety when purchasing dried mushrooms (vs. fresh), which I like to switch things up.

      Reply
  33. Lisa says

    January 06, 2014 at 11:59 am

    I wonder if coconut milk or cashew cream would sub well for the cream? We're dairy-free here at our house. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 08, 2014 at 7:12 pm

      Hi Lisa. It is not a substitution that we have tried. If you do, please share how it turns out. ~Amy

      Reply
  34. Emily says

    January 06, 2014 at 11:58 am

    What would you recommend as a mushroom substitute? I can't eat them. Maybe broccoli? Cauliflower?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 21, 2014 at 10:48 pm

      Hi Emily. It is difficult to substitute for mushrooms (that great umami flavor). Beef broth is a good flavor substitute but I think you could try any vegetable in this dish. ~Amy

      Reply
  35. Olivia says

    January 06, 2014 at 11:58 am

    I have made similar dishes and substituted Greek yoghurt for the heavy cream without difficulty.

    Reply
  36. Rachel says

    January 06, 2014 at 11:56 am

    Any way to sub cream for something vegan? My daughter can't have dairy. Butter is easy.. We use earth's balance but the cream...

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 08, 2014 at 7:36 pm

      Hi Rachel. We haven't tried but perhaps full fat coconut milk/coconut cream? ~Amy

      Reply
  37. Yvonne Shorb says

    January 06, 2014 at 11:54 am

    I think you could use plain Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream. That's what I would try. Sometimes I just use milk, but I think the yogurt would work and be better than milk.

    Reply
  38. Susan says

    January 06, 2014 at 11:53 am

    I would sub the heavy cream with fat free sour cream.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 06, 2014 at 11:55 am

      Susan - I definitely wouldn't recommend "fat free" or "low fat" anything if you are trying to avoid highly processed food - this post explains it in more detail: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/15/mini-pledge-week-6-no-low-fat-lite-or-nonfat-food-products/

      Reply
  39. ashley s says

    January 06, 2014 at 11:52 am

    I sub heavy cream with greek yogurt very often. Absolutely delicious. Cant wait to try this. Where do you find dried mushrooms?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      January 08, 2014 at 4:53 pm

      Hi Ashley. You can usually find them in the bulk foods section in stores like Whole Foods. When looking in a conventional grocery, I've found them in random places. It might be best to just ask a clerk. ~Amy

      Reply
  40. Amy T. says

    January 06, 2014 at 10:14 am

    I was wondering what a substitute for the heavy cream would be? What would you suggest?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 06, 2014 at 11:54 am

      Is there a reason you are avoiding heavy cream? That might help me think about a substitute.

      Reply
      • Amy T. says

        January 06, 2014 at 3:48 pm

        My son has shown a sensitivity to heavy cream sometimes. I haven't tried it in a several months d/t his reaction (instant hives and itching).

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Meet Lisa! Lisa is a best-selling cookbook author, wife, mother, and passionate home cook. Lisa began blogging in 2010 and has created a community of millions of people who share her love of healthy living, real food ingredients, and family recipes.

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