Lemon garlic parsley pasta salad
I love pasta salad! It’s a wonderful way to get in healthy carbs, veggies and herbs.
There are many tasty variations of pasta salad to make. This one is lemony and garlicy, with the addition of super-healthy kale and parsley. This recipe will satisfy your taste buds and fill you up. Have you tried the fantastic gluten free pastas on the market these days?! There are great ones available, a few aren’t the best but most are very good! Even non-gluten-free people won’t miss the regular stuff (they usually don’t notice a difference).
This may be a really Californian thing to say, but I’m crazy about kale! Anything that includes kale tends to be great to me. I love that this recipe calls for thinly sliced lacinato kale—use a lot so you get a lot of health benefits! Lacinato kale sliced this way also makes a great base for salads in general, the texture creates a good mouth-feel.
All ready to mix up!
Just cook the pasta, and drain it. Chop up lots of garlic (I always put two to four times what’s called for in a recipe because I love garlic and can handle a lot!). Saute the garlic and remove, then saute the kale and remove it. Keep scrolling for full directions!
Ingredients
8 oz gluten free pasta, such as “pagoda” style (I used the Garden Pagodas from the Ancient Harvest brand)
Extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil (grapeseed is my fave for cooking)
2 tbsp (or more) minced garlic
4 cups thinly ribboned lacinato kale, stems removed
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, large stems removed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: roasted chicken
Optional: fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions. Chill pasta.
Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and stir frequently for 2-4 minutes until light golden brown. Place cooked garlic in a medium bowl.
Add kale to the pan and increase heat to medium. Stir until just starting to wilt, about 2-3 minutes. Add kale to a large serving bowl with the pasta.
Add 1-2 tbsp oil, lemon juice, zest, parsley, and 1/4 tsp salt to the garlic bowl and whisk together.
Toss dressing gently with the pasta until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more parsley as desired. Chill in the fridge then serve with fresh Parmesan and shredded or chopped roasted chicken, if desired.
All products featured on Friendly Foods with Janelle are independently selected by us. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we may earn an affiliate commission.