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Lemony Kale Rigatoni Pasta – Healthy, Plant-Based, Vegan, Oil-Free, Whole Grain, Dairy-Free, Italian Dinner Entree Recipe

This oil-free recipe for Vegan Lemony Kale Rigatoni Pasta combines dark kale with creamy white beans and crunchy pistachios. Whole wheat rigatoni works great to hold the lemony white wine sauce, but you can also use brown rice pasta shells for a gluten-free version. A quick and satisfying weeknight dinner!

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Plant-Based Pasta Recipe:

This delicious recipe for Vegan Lemony Kale Rigatoni Pasta comes together with a few plant-based ingredients. Keep these items stocked in your pantry so you can make this 30-minute weeknight dinner.

Cashew Butter: Cashew butter is made from grinding roasted cashews, just like peanut butter is made from peanuts. Check the label for a brand without any added oils. For a nut-free version, you can substitute with sunflower butter
Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast adds a “cheezy” flavor, replacing the Parmesan traditionally used in this classic recipe.
Fresh Garlic and Lemon and Red Chili Flake: These simple ingredients create the essential flavors of the sauce.
Kale: Use curly kale, lacinato kale, baby kale, or any other of your favorite kale varieties. Kale is a sturdy green that holds up well with the pasta, but you can use other dark greens like chard, spinach, or arugula
Whole Wheat Pasta: The backbone of dish, be sure to use a whole grain or whole wheat pasta. The rigatoni shape works to hold the sauce and balance the size of the kale and beans. However, you can use other shapes like cavatappi, shells, and penne
Cannellini beans: Add extra creaminess and plant-based protein to this dish. You can substitute with other beans like Navy, kidney, or giant Lima
Pistachios: Add a simple crunch to finish the dish. The green color also plays well with the green from the kale

Chef’ Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips

Get-Your-Greens Tip: You can substitute with any dark greens for this dish. Mustard greens or arugula will add a peppery bite, while baby spinach will add a subtle sweetness. For quicker convenience, just use a bag of pre-washed baby kale, spinach, or arugula.

Cashew butter…? Cashew butter is made from grinding roasted cashews, just like peanut butter is made from peanuts. Check the label for a brand without any added oils.

Hummus Sauce…? If you want to make the sauce without the nuts, want something with less fat (or just don’t have cashew butter on hand!) you can use hummus instead! Original hummus, roasted garlic, or even roasted red pepper all work as a quick substitute

Chef’s Cheezy Tip: Nutritional yeast adds a “cheezy” flavor, replacing the dairy cheese traditionally used in Italian cooking. It also adds B-12 vitamins, a common concern for vegans.

Watch this Video to Learn the Difference Between Curly Kale and Lacinato:

Vegan Lemony Kale Rigatoni Pasta

Servings: 4
Ready In: 15 minutes
Yield: 8-10 cups

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Vegan Lemony Kale Rigatoni Pasta

Course Dinner, Entree

Cuisine Healthy, Italian, Pasta, Plant-Based, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword dinner, greens, healthy, Italian, kale, lemon, oil-free, pasta, simple, weeknight, wfpb, whole food, whole grain, wine

Total Time 30

Servings 4

Calories 349kcal

Ingredients

1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons cashew butter *
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 teaspoon red chili flake
1 lemon zest and juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
10 ounces whole wheat rigatoni pasta
1 bunch kale stemmed and chopped (about 4-6 cups)
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios

Instructions

For the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
To make Lemony White Wine sauce: In a wide pan, combine the white wine, cashew butter, sliced garlic, red chili flake, and 1 cup of water. Cover and simmer on low till garlic softens, about 10 minutes. When the garlic and cashew butter are soft, use a fork to mash to a paste.
Zest the lemon and add to the sauce. Halve and juice the lemon; stir into the sauce. Stir in the cheesy nutritional yeast and salt. Your sauce is ready.
If using for pasta, keep on the stove, on the lowest heat possible, until pasta is ready.
To make the pasta and kale: Once your large pot of water is at a rolling boil, add the pasta. Cook according to the package directions, about 10 min, about a minute before done, or “al dente”. You want the pasta to still have some “bite”.
While the pasta is boiling, strip the kale. Discard the stems. Chop the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces.
Add the chopped kale and 1 cup of the pasta boiling water to the pan with the white wine sauce. Stir to wilt the kale. Drain and rinse the beans. Add to the pan with the kale.
When the pasta is almost “al dente”, drain the pasta and add to the pan with the white wine sauce.
Stir and cook until the pasta is tender and everything is hot, just a minute or so. Let the liquid reduce.
When the sauce has thickened and is creamy, turn off the heat.
Taste adjust seasoning.
Top with chopped pistachios and serve

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 349
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8 g	13 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	7 %
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 210 mg	9 %
Potassium 709 mg	20 %
Total Carbohydrate 49 g	16 %
Dietary Fiber 10 g	38 %
Sugars 3 g
Protein 15 g	30 %
Vitamin A	146 %
Vitamin C	52 %
Calcium	13 %
Iron	28 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

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Vegan Lemony Kale Rigatoni Pasta