Food and Recipes Recipes Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake Recipe 4.6 (14) 13 Reviews Even self-professed kale haters will fall in love with this cheesy baked pasta with crispy breadcrumbs. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 27, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 6 serves This comforting, cheesy baked pasta will convince kids and the most kale-averse adults to fall in love this leafy green. This easy to make casserole is a complete main dish in one pan, but you can also serve it as a hearty side dish alongside roasted chicken, pork chops, or any protein. Best of all, the dish comes together in 30 minutes or less. Buy pre-chopped, pre-washed bagged kale and pre-shredded cheese to save prep time. Ingredients 4 quarts water ¼ cup plus 1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, divided 1 (16-oz.) package chopped fresh kale 4 cups whole milk 6 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into pieces 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 onion) 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 (8-oz.) package preshredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 cups) 1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco) ½ teaspoon black pepper 8 ounces uncooked medium-size shell pasta, cooked according to package directions ½ cup panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs) 1 tablespoon olive oil Directions Preheat broiler with oven rack 8 to 9 inches from heat. Bring 4 quarts water and ¼ cup of the salt to a boil in a Dutch oven over high. Add chopped kale; cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place milk in a 1-quart glass measuring cup. Cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on HIGH 3 minutes. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Whisk in hot milk. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a low boil, whisking often. Cook, whisking often, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in cheese, hot sauce, pepper, and remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Roughly chop kale. Fold kale and cooked pasta into cheese sauce. Pour into a greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Stir together panko and 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle over pasta mixture. Broil until panko is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately. Tips Tenderize hardy greens like kale by blanching them in a large stockpot of boiling water. Cook the kale in salted water until tender, and then drain the kale and pat dry with paper towels. Look for bags of prewashed and chopped kale to save prep time. Rate it Print