Creamed Kale and Kimchi Pasta

i don't know how many lectures i’ve gone to. i’ve gone to ones on south east asian religion, ones on databases, ones that aren’t really lectures at all (i had a business class where our main task was to take bs quizzes featuring questions like, what’s the name of a bosnian croat convicted of war crimes who died after drinking poison in front of a united nations tribunal in the hague?). but the biggest lesson i learned in college? it’s not what you do, it’s who you do it with.

sure, there are some unredeemable activities (i’m not sure if i’d love backpacking, even if i was with the best people ever). but i wasn’t in a diy art club because i’m artsy, nor was i on the executive board of an information technology club for two years because i’m a technical person. it’s the people who made my time worthwhile. the people who i want to get trashy diner food in the middle of the night with, the people i want to sing jesse mccartney and brittney spears songs with, the people i chat at 2am while writing this blog post bc i don't sleep enough. i'm going to be spending less time with some of these people in the very near future though: i'm bidding adieu to my presidency this week. so long, farewell, i'll even say goodbye.

and because i apparently only know how to celebrate anniversaries and changes in my life with carbs, voila creamed kale and kimchi pasta. it was inspired by this number from food52, and i thought i got the idea of adding kimchi from the comments.

however, kimchi is nowhere to be referenced on the page, no matter how many times one might ctrl + f that query. the idea of adding kimchi probably came from the part of my brain that continuously craves korean food.

this creamed kale and kimchi pasta is deliciously balanced between decadence and health: the (full fat!) coconut milk makes things luxurious, and the kale and kimchi pack a one-two punch of hearty vegetables.

the kimchi stands out here as the star, but this creamy, cheesey (do you see that showering of parm?) pasta is also a good way to gentle a wary eater into this spicy, aggressive condiment.

fried eggs on top are optional, though i do recommend some sort of protein to make this more of an entree instead of a pasta course.

0 from 0 votes

Print

Creamed Kale and Kimchi Pasta

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

This creamed kale and kimchi pasta pairs a creamy coconut milk and kale sauce with plenty of crunchy, tangy kimchi.

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Korean

Keyword: coconut milk, eggs, garlic, kale, kimchi, nut-free, onion, parmesan, pasta

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 414 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 bulb fennel chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 bunch kale leaves only and torn
• 1 cup coconut milk
• soy sauce, fish sauce and lemon juice to taste
• 1 cup kimchi chopped
• 1 pound pasta cooked
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 8 fried eggs

Instructions

1. In a medium pan, heat some oil over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and garlic, and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the kale, and cook until wilted.
2. Add the coconut milk, and cook until slightly reduced. Transfer the mixture to a blender (be careful!), and blend until your desired consistency is reached (I like a chunkier sauce). Add soy sauce, fish sauce, and/or lemon juice to taste.
3. Toss the kimchi, pasta and creamed kale sauce together until well-coated. Divide the creamed kale and kimchi pasta among 8 bowls, top with fried eggs and parmesan, and serve hot.

Recipe Notes

If you find that your kimchi is a bit too pungent raw, feel free to saute it to tame it. Add it to the pan with the onion, fennel and garlic, before you add the kale.