Meet my newest obsession: kale cacio e pepe.
Or simply: kale, cheese, pepper—and pasta.
This is the easiest weeknight meatless meal you can make. Seriously simple. The most time-consuming part is waiting for the water to boil. It’s perfect for a Monday, a busy evening, or anytime you want something fast, comforting and full of flavor.
The star move is to toast cracked black pepper in butter before anything else. That step releases so much aroma and warmth. Then we toss in chopped kale so it wilts with the hot pasta—an effortless way to get greens into the dish. If I’m not having kale raw in a salad, I prefer it cooked with pasta; it softens and becomes slightly sweet without the bitterness that makes it less appealing in smoothies.
I don’t usually load dishes with cracked pepper, but I love pepper cooked into a sauce. Left whole or in large bites, peppercorns are unpleasant to bite into, so toasting and crushing them into the butter lets their flavor meld across the dish without sharp surprises.
Combine the peppered butter and wilted kale with a generous amount of finely grated parmesan and pecorino for a silky, cheesy coating. Toss in spaghetti—bucatini is a favorite for its satisfying chew and sauce-carrying hole, though whole wheat versions can be harder to find. If you prefer whole wheat, use it—either way the simple sauce shines.
The result is a light, creamy parmesan sauce that clings to each strand of pasta. There’s a lot of flavor from just a few ingredients—pepper, butter, kale and cheese—making this a simple but memorable meal.
Kale Cacio e Pepe
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Ingredients
- 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 large bunch of kale stems removed and chopped
- 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup finely grated pecorino cheese
- parmesan shavings for topping
Instructions
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Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
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While the water heats, warm a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, stir in the black pepper and toast for about 60 seconds to release its aroma. Add the chopped kale and toss, then pour in about 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining butter and the drained pasta, tossing so the kale continues to wilt from the heat.
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Reduce heat to low and stir in the grated parmesan and pecorino. Toss until the cheeses melt and form a light sauce with the starchy water, coating the pasta evenly. If needed, add a splash more reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
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Serve immediately with extra parmesan shavings and additional freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Notes
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The perfect pile.