Macaroni with Greens, Lemon, and Parmesan

Macaroni with Greens, Lemon, and Parmesan has amazing flavor going on for a meatless dinner idea; if you want less carbs, use more greens and less macaroni. 

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Through the years I’ve tried quite a few recipes that featured some combination of pasta and greens, and I don’t think it’s any secret that kale is probably my favorite leafy green. So while I was a little ambivalent about the mustard greens I used when I first created this recipe, this time I absolutely swooned over the dish with Ready-to-use Organic Mixed Baby Kale.

Macaroni with Greens, Lemon, and Parmesan is a different take on the usual pasta/greens combo, in particular because of the way the generous amount of lemon zest accents the flavor of the kale.  If you’re not a fan of kale, collard greens or swiss chard would also taste good in this dish. And for a lower-carb version just use a lot more greens and less pasta.

This recipe could certainly make a great veggie and pasta side dish (and maybe you can tell your kids that it’s Macaroni and Cheese with Kale!)  But truthfully, for a Meatless Monday dinner I would happily eat a big bowl of this with a nice green salad on the side.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED FOR THIS RECIPE?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• macaroni
• salt
• greens such as kale, collards, mustard greens, or swiss chard 
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• lemon zest
• lemon juice
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• parmesan cheese

How to make Macaroni with Greens, Lemon, and Parmesan:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

1. Start cooking the pasta in salted water; then zest two large lemons, and then squeeze the juice. (You will only need 1 tablespoon of juice for this recipe, but just freeze the extra lemon juice.)
2. If you’re using larger greens you’ll need to chop them up but with the Ready-to-use Organic Mixed Baby Kale, we just washed it in the salad spinner.
3. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan; then add the garlic and lemon zest and saute 1 minute.
4. Add the greens and cook until they’re wilted. This will take just 2-3 minutes for baby greens and about 5 minutes for larger chopped greens.
5. Drain the pasta, saving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.
6. Add the hot pasta, lemon juice, and reserved pasta cooking water to the pan.
7. Turn off heat and mix in the Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

More Vegetarian Recipes with Kale:

• Kale, Mozzarella, and Egg Bake
• Baby Kale and Mozzarella Quesadillas
• Kale, Mushroom, and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 4 servings

Macaroni with Greens, Lemon, and Parmesan

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Macaroni with Greens, Lemon, and Parmesan has amazing flavors and is a great meatless dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (dry) Macaroni (see notes)
• 1 tsp. salt for pasta cooking water
• 1 bunch greens such as kale, collards, mustard greens, or swiss chard (see notes)
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• zest from 2 lemons
• 1 T lemon juice (I would freeze the extra juice to use later)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions

1. Cook Macaroni in a large pot of salted water until barely al dente (about 8-9 minutes, but follow cooking time on the package of pasta).
2. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water before draining.
3. While pasta cooks, zest the lemons and squeeze the juice and finely chop the garlic.
4. Save 1 tablespoon of juice for this recipe and store or freeze the rest.
5. Wash greens in a salad spinner and spin dry.
6. If using larger greens, slice crosswise into 1 inch wide ribbons, discarding stems.  (Baby greens don’t need to be sliced.)
7. Heat olive oil in large frying pan, add garlic and lemon zest and saute 1 minute.
8. Add greens and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes for larger greens or 2-3 minutes for baby greens.
9. As soon as pasta is al dente, save 1/4 cup cooking water and then drain the pasta well and add to  greens/garlic/lemon mixture, with lemon juice and reserved pasta cooking water (as needed.)
10. Stir in Parmesan cheese and serve hot, with additional cheese to be added at the table if desired.

Notes

I originally made this recipe with Dreamfields pasta (affiliate link). Use any type of whole grain or whole wheat macaroni you prefer. I used 8 oz. Ready-to-use Organic Mixed Baby Kale.

This recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 228Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 914mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 8gSugar: 3gProtein: 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.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Suggestions:
Made with reduced-carb or whole wheat pasta, this Macaroni with Greens, Lemon, and Parmesan would be a great dish for phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet.  It’s too high in carbs for a low-carb diet plan, but you could use less pasta and a lot more greens if you want a lower-carb version.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Leafy Greens or Pasta to find more recipes like this one. Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Nutritional Information?
If you want nutritional information for a recipe, I recommend entering the recipe into Calorie Count, which will calculate it for you. Or if you’re a member of Yummly, you can use the Yum button on my site to save the recipe and see the nutritional information there.

Historical Notes for This Recipe:
Macaroni with Greens, Lemon, and Parmesan was first posted in 2006; the recipe was last updated July 2020.

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