Kale Pasta Salad – FBD
This Kale Pasta Salad has a generous amount of fried kale, tomatoes, olives, Feta, and pesto vinaigrette, with a moderate serving of pasta. We're now enhancing the recipe by using Fiber Gourmet Light Rotini, resulting in a pasta salad with only about 16 net carbs per serving and 10 grams of protein.
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This Kale Pasta Salad is a recipe I first made years ago with my nephew Jake, back in the days when I was a fan of whole wheat pasta. We used plenty of the other ingredients and just a moderate amount of pasta to create a carb-conscious dish.
Fast forward to today, and I'm using Fiber Gourmet Light Rotini (affiliate link) to make a lower-carb version of this salad. You could also opt for Palmini Pasta (affiliate link) for an even lower-carb option. Choose the version that fits your dietary preferences.
This salad features fried kale, tomatoes, olives, and Feta, creating a delicious meatless pasta salad with fried kale as the star! It's perfect for a meatless dinner or lunch, or as a flavorful pasta salad side dish. And don't forget to fry the kale for the best results!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for the complete printable recipe. You can also use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page for quick access to the full recipe.)
What pasta did we use for lower-carb Kale Pasta Salad?
I highly recommend Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta from Italy, which is a high-fiber wheat pasta with reduced net carbs. This pasta is also rich in protein but tastes just like traditional pasta. For this recipe, we used Fiber Gourmet Light Rotini (affiliate link) from the specified 8 oz. package. (If you've been disappointed by other low-carb pastas, rest assured that this Italian high-fiber pasta is delicious!)
More About Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta:
The main downside for many with Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta might be the price. As I couldn't find it in local stores, I purchase it from Amazon, where you can buy a package of 6 boxes for $6.66 each (affiliate link). Personally, I enjoy having "real" pasta with fewer carbs, so buying six boxes at once is worth it for me. Since this recipe uses 4 servings of elbow macaroni to make 6 servings of salad, it becomes more cost-effective.
Want an even lower-carb version of Kale Pasta Salad?
For a truly low-carb pasta salad, consider replacing the pasta in this recipe with Palmini Pasta made from hearts of palm (affiliate link) and follow the cooking instructions in the recipe.
What if you're not a fan of Feta?
If Feta Cheese isn't your favorite, feel free to use another cheese like goat cheese, Parmesan, or even Mozzarella in this recipe.
How to make Kale Pasta Salad:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for the complete printable recipe. You can also use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page for quick access to the full recipe.)
- Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water and then drain well. Fiber Gourmet pasta may take about 15 minutes to cook.
- Mix lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, pesto, and olive oil to create the flavorful pesto dressing.
- Chop the kale leaves and wash them if necessary.
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, add the kale, and stir-fry until wilted and slightly tender.
- Combine half of the dressing with the warm pasta.
- Let the pasta sit while you prepare the olives, tomatoes, and Feta.
- Stir the fried kale into the pasta.
- Then gently mix in the tomatoes and olives.
- Add more dressing as desired.
- Finally, gently stir in the Feta, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
More Meatless Pasta Salad Recipes:
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Fiber Gourmet Light Rotini (or other curly pasta of your choice)
- 1 tsp. salt (for pasta cooking water)
- 8 oz. kale leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 T olive oil (for stir-frying the kale)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- one 6 oz. can black olives, drained and cut in half
- 1/4 cup crumbled Feta (or more)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 T white balsamic vinegar, or other mild white vinegar
- 3 T pesto (see notes)
- 2 T olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta, stir, and reduce heat to a low boil and cook until pasta is al dente, approximately 15 minutes for Fiber Gourmet pasta (adjust based on pasta type).
- Drain pasta well in a colander placed in the sink.
- While pasta cooks, chop kale leaves and wash if needed.
- Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add kale, and stir-fry until wilted and slightly tender. Remove from heat and let kale cool.
- Mix lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, and pesto, then whisk in olive oil to make dressing.
- Combine half of the dressing with warm pasta in a bowl.
- Let pasta sit while preparing tomatoes, olives, and Feta.
- Stir cooled kale into the pasta.
- Add tomatoes and olives, and gently combine; then add more dressing as desired.
- Gently stir in the crumbled Feta, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
- This salad can be refrigerated, but it's best enjoyed fresh.
Notes
Nutritional information is based on a salad with Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta.
I used my Basil Pesto with Lemon for the dressing, but Kirkland Basil Pesto is also a great option.
This recipe was created by Kalyn and Jake.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving
Calories 244Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 3.1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11.6gCholesterol 7.5mgSodium 771mgCarbohydrates 34.1gFiber 18gSugar 2.9gProtein 10g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
