Penne Pasta with Mixed Greens {gluten-free}
This colorful and healthful pasta dish with mixed greens, sun-dried tomatoes and toasted walnuts comes together in a jiffy. Make with gluten-free pasta or wheat pasta.
Servings: 6 large servings.
Calories: 335kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch mixed greens , about 1 pound (see note)
- 8 ounces brown rice penne pasta (see note)
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil , drained and coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sherry wine or apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup toasted walnuts , coarsely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (see note)
Instructions
- Wash the greens. Do not dry—the water left on the greens helps them to wilt.
- Trim and discard the tougher ribs of the kale. (The chard and mustard green ribs are tender enough that you can chop them along with the leaves.)
- Chop the greens in 1 to 1 ½-inch pieces.
- Dice the onion into ½-inch pieces.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until it is tender. (see note)
- When the pasta is done, drain and toss with the sun-dried tomatoes and their residual oil. Add a teaspoon of olive oil if needed to keep the pasta from sticking together.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high flame. Add the olive oil and the chopped onion.
- Cook and stir about 5 minutes, until the onions begin to turn translucent. Stir in the garlic.
- Reduce the heat to medium flame. Add the chopped greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens wilt and shrink, another 5 minutes.
- Mix the pasta and tomatoes into the greens. Sprinkle in the vinegar and heat through.
- Add the walnuts, Aleppo pepper, and salt to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- I used a mixture of kale, chard and mustard greens.
- I bought the brown rice penne pasta at Trader Joe’s. This is by far the best gluten-free pasta I know. It holds up perfectly when cooked, unlike some gluten-free pasta. In fact, this penne benefits from extra cooking time. The package says boil 7 to 10 minutes—I boiled this pasta until it had a soft texture, about 14 minutes. (My kitchen is 7000 feet above sea level, test in 10 minutes if at sea level.)
- Aleppo pepper adds subtle heat and vibrant flavor to so many foods. If you don’t have any (yet), substitute 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes.
- For protein, stir in a cup or so of canned, drained white beans.
- If you eat cheese, stir in a smidgen of goat cheese just before the pasta hits the dinner table. You'll love how the soft goat cheese gently coats the pasta and greens.
Nutrition
Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 706IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg