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.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Keyword: pantry meals, pasta
Servings: 6 large servings.
Calories: 335kcal
- 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)
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.
- 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.
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