Last weekend, I stopped by Native Roots Market for some groceries, hoping to find some inspiration while I was there. Some beautiful, local collard greens from my friends at Peach Crest Farm caught my eye. It seems strange that after living in the borderline-Southern state of Oklahoma my whole life, I’d never tried collard greens. I’ve been trying to branch out and try different kinds of produce, so into the basket went the collard greens.
At home, I tore off a little piece and nibbled on it, raw. Nothing special, tasted sort of like kale. Later, I recalled some collard wraps I’ve seen in blogland and tried using blanched collard leaves as wraps for the last of my lentil curry. The taste wasn’t worth the effort.
Then I recalled my friend Matt telling me how great collard greens are when they’re sliced super thin, so I got to googling. I googled my way past all the slow-cooked, bacon-heavy Paula Deen recipes and found a tutorial for Brazilian collard greens.
The idea is to slice the greens as thin as possible, and sauté them for just a few minutes, until they’re dark green and fragrant. The technical term for this slicing technique is chiffonade. I tried cooking up one big leaf in this manner for “dessert” and hello, lover! I’m smitten with collard greens. This lively spaghetti dish came to me as I twirled my fork in those spicy, skinny greens and fortunately, it is just as good in reality as it was in my head.
I don’t know whether to call this recipe Southern due to the collard greens, or Brazilian because of the method, or Italian since it’s a pasta dish. Southern-Brazilian-Italian fusion, anyone? Never mind. Whatever you want to call this dish, it’s spicy and bright, with bold lemon flavor, and comes together in a flash! The one-to-one ratio of whole wheat spaghettini to produce is just the way I like my pasta. I hope you’ll give collard greens another chance with this lemony pasta recipe.
Lemony Collard Greens Pasta
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Super quick, bold and bright pasta dish tossed with thinly sliced and sautéed collard greens, lemon juice, pine nuts and spices.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh collard greens (about 10 big leaves)
- ⅓ or more of a package of whole wheat thin spaghetti or “spaghettini”
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- olive oil (the good stuff)
- 2 small cloves garlic, pressed
- big pinch red pepper flakes
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese
- ½ or more of a lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to directions. Drain quickly, reserving a bit of cooking water, and set aside.
- Cut out the center rib of each collard green. Stack a few greens at a time and roll them up into a cigar-like shape. Slice across the roll as thinly as possible (⅛″ to ¼″). Shake up the greens and give them a few chops so the strands aren’t so long.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed 12″ skillet over medium heat and toast the pine nuts until they start to turn golden and fragrant. Pour them out of the skillet and save for later.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and pour in a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle in a big pinch of red pepper flakes and the garlic and stir. Once the oil is hot enough to shimmer, toss in all of your collard greens. Sprinkle the greens with salt. Stirring often (try not to let them clump), sauté the greens for about three minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat. Scoop the greens into the pasta pot and toss with another drizzle of olive oil, adding pasta water if necessary. Divide onto plates, top with pine nuts and Parmesan shavings and serve with two big lemon wedges per person.
Notes
- Serves two.
- Although I haven’t tried it, I think walnuts would make a fine substitute for the pine nuts.
- Vegans, you can totally skip the cheese. It’s still great without it.
- Use a cheese plane to create Parmesan shavings. I’m over grated Parmesan; shavings are the way to go!
- Peach Crest collard greens, Bionaturae spaghettini, Canaan olive oil and pine nuts kindly provided by Native Roots Market.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Jewel at Eat.Drink.S
This looks so yummy! I would have never thought to add collard greens to pasta.
Erin
Made this tonight. Sooo good. I will definitely make it again.
★★★★
la domestique
I often make pasta with sautéed greens, red pepper flakes, and parmesan, but never with collard greens. It’s nice to shake up the routine a bit, and I look forward to trying this recipe with collard greens. In Arkansas, where I grew up, we ate cooked collard greens and mustard greens with hot pepper vinegar. Do you guys have that in Oklahoma?
the indolent cook
I love fresh, healthy dishes like this one… the greens and the lemon just make it so light and bright!
Amanda
I love collard greens! My dad made them fairly often for me growing up, so they always remind me of him. :)
Beautiful photography in this post!
Margarita
I love how healthy and wholesome this recipe is! :) The best part about it is the thinly sliced collards. You know, I have always chopped my leaves roughly and they’re always in big chunks. Thinly slicing them makes them look pretty and probably brings out flavor too. Simple, classy, delicious!
Gina
I became obsessed with collard greens over the past year and slice them exactly like that. I was always under the misconception that they had to be coked for hours on end like they are in the south until they are mushy and quite an unpleasant green color. Thank goodness I figure out that’s not the case. If you ever do them as a side dish by themselves try a dash of apple cider vinegar while you saute them, it’s delicious.
kate
I just tried collard greens with apple cider vinegar for dinner. Yum! Thanks for the suggestion!
kris
I’ve never had collard green’s before. This sounds really refreshing. I think I might give it a try this weekend.
Abby @ Fig & Fork
The thin strips are such a great idea – they look so pretty! Besides sauteing them, I’ve been adding collards raw to smoothies and using them in place of wraps (sorry, but I like them this way!). My next venture is going to be testing out collard green pesto. Here’s a little helpful bit of info for you – I read that collards keep the longest in your refrigerator when compared to all other greens out there!
kate
Those are all wonderful ideas! I’m eager to find out how that collard green pesto turns out.
Abby @ Fig & Fork
Kate – I had lacinato kale to use up so I just did a vegan kale pesto. Check it out! I can’t wait to sub kale for collards later this week!
http://figandfork.com/2012/04/11/vegan-kale-pesto/
the actor's diet
one of the first things i ever learned to cook was nigella’s lemon pasta. i love this greened up spin!
Bev Weidner
I want to live inside your mouth.
junior bodean
i do not want to live inside your mouth but, will continue to read the comments.
Katrina
This look so yummy!
Melissa@Julia's Book
Hey Kate! Just made yo banana bread recipe yesterday. It was FANTASTIC!!!!
dulcie @ two tarts
Beautiful! I never know what to do with collard greens… great idea!
Susanne
Great way of using collard greens! It’s totally new for me :) And I would love to try it!
I’m from The Netherlands and we eat a lot of collard greens during the winter, we boil them together with potatoes and mash them up with butter, milk, nutmeg and mustard. But this is far better for spring!
kate
I had no idea that collard greens are popular in The Netherlands! Your mashed potatoes sound great. I hope you’ll give my technique a spin!
Matthew
Sounds a lot like the Irish dish colcannon, which to simplify is mashed potatoes and greens (usu kale or cabbage).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colcannon
thelittleloaf
This looks absolutely beautiful…love those dark green tangles mixed in with the pasta.
Rhonda
I love all sorts of greens, this looks super!
Emma
I love pasta with greens and lemon, I’ve never tried collard greens though, living in Australia I’m not sure what they are but am v. intrigued.
Lovely fresh dish.
autumnmakes
Your collard ribbons are beautiful! This looks totally simple and delicious. Spring is one of my favorite times to eat collards because I get the small tender ones in the market and they’re great raw.
Dramatic Pancake
This look so fresh, light and pretty! Bookmarked for a weeknight dinner!
Jeanine
yum! Your collard green ribbons are so pretty, and of course I love anything with lemon!
kate
Citrus makes everything better! That’s my motto, at least. :)
Maria @ Orchard Bloo
I’ve never cooked with collard greens before. Going to have to give it a try because this pasta looks delicious!
Kasey
Ohhh collard greens! I love being able to discover different kinds of greens just by chatting with the farmers that bring their goodies to the farmer’s market every week. I usually just pan sear mine, but can imagine how delicious they are in pasta. Today, I spotted some stinging nettles at the market, but I think I’m still not ready for them!
kate
Honestly, I don’t know a thing about stinging nettles. They sound scary! Googling now.
EverydayMaven
Collard greens are one of my favorite leafy greens! They are versatile and so hardy. Did you save the stems? They are also fantastic sliced very thin and thrown into a stir fry!
adrienne
Living in NC, the markets are overflowing with collards. I was introduced to the Brazilian method a few years ago, and almost always employ it when I want to quickly sauté the greens. Glad you like them :)
Joann@womaninreallife
This is such a simple but lovely meal. I can’t wait to try it. I wish I had collard greens in the house now!
meatballs & milkshakes
Yum! Looks delicious and healthy! I love good excuses to eat pasta!
Kelsey
can you fly out and make this for me when i get home tonight? k thanks.
cathy
I love the ratio of greens to noodles in your photo. This is such a healthy way to enjoy pasta. Up there in your comments, Abby mentioned wanting to make pesto with collards. I do this all of the time with kale, and I’m sure it would work beautifully with collards. (With the kale, I often use walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds instead of pine nuts.) If you don’t put cheese in the pesto, it freezes well, too.
kate
Thanks for your great comment, Cathy! I’ve never met a pesto I didn’t like. I like freezing mine for later, but I usually make too much at once and it takes me forever to eat it all! Once I finish my basil pesto from last fall I’d like to try this kale, roasted red pepper and pecan pesto recipe I found. I’ll definitely post it if it’s as good as I think it will be!
emmycooks
I also like this balance of greens to pasta, and think sturdy greens with whole wheat pasta is one of the best pasta combos going. I am looking forward to trying this lemony approach. My current favorite is garlicky, spicy dandelion greens with whole wheat spaghetti and blue cheese.
kate
That sounds fantastic! I have never tried dandelion greens but I will keep an eye out for some. I love spicy greens so I’m sure I’ll enjoy them!
Jennifer
I tried this recipe last night and it was delicious. I got collard greens in my CSA box and had no idea what to do with them. This pasta was great. We used walnuts, since that’s what I had. Added good crunch. The lemon really made the dish, though. We tried it first without, and then with the lemon squeezed over the top and my husband agreed that it really made a huge difference in flavor.
★★★★★
kate
So glad to hear that you enjoyed the collard greens, Jennifer! I don’t like soggy greens so I much prefer them prepared the Brazilian way. I’ve been squeezing lemon onto all sorts of dishes lately; it really brightens the flavor without adding any fat or sodium. You’re right, it really makes this dish!
Christie Chase
This was so yummy! I used walnuts instead of pine nuts and only had brown rice noodles on hand, so used those and it was really great. Thanks!
Laura Deaton
I’m about to make these and I realized that I’m not sure when to add the garlic from the instructions above. I’m going to assume that its with the red pepper flakes in the olive oil, but if I’m wrong, could you let me know?
Thanks!
kate
I’m sorry for the confusion, Laura! Yes, you are correct in adding the garlic along with the red pepper flakes. I will correct the recipe.
kristina
i liked this so much i made it two nights in a row! first w/ collard greens and walnuts, second with rainbow chard and sesame seeds!! thanks!
★★★★
Laura Deaton
Made this last night and did a bit of a redux to make it “no added oil, no added salt.” Used whole wheat linguini and cut the collards to the same width to match. Used no oil and used low-sodium veggie broth instead to saute the garlic and red pepper flakes. Added the collards and added a little extra veggie broth, but used no salt. Fantastic! Thanks for the fab recipe! I’m always looking for things that can be low-fat, low-sodium, and still taste delicious!
kate
Thanks so much for commenting, Laura! It’s great to hear that this dish can be made to suit low-fat, low-sodium diets. Glad you enjoyed it that way!
Ruth
So glad I stumbled on your blog through Pinterest. I love this dish in particular. I hope you share this or other pasta dishes with Presto Pasta Nights. It’s a weekly roundup of pastas from food bloggers around the world www.prestopastanights.com
Fiona
Just wanted to tell you that I’m making this for the second time (although over quinoa the second time) and I LOVE this. Thanks so much!
Caitlin
Loved this recipe! I was browsing online looking for a new way to use collard greens for dinner, and this was way better than what I expected to find–a delicious recipe and a great blog. I was so excited to have the leftovers for lunch today because the recipe was so tasty. Thanks for sharing!
kate
So glad to hear you enjoy the collard greens pasta, Caitlin! I’ve yet to find another technique for cooking collards that I enjoy as much as this one.
Kristin
Just made this for dinner and it was delicious! So quick and easy – perfect for a weeknight dinner. I hope to make some again soon!
Gina
We LOVED this recipe! My husband said he was expecting it to be bland because he doesn’t tend to like pasta without sauces, but he loved this! We toasted almonds instead of pine nuts and they were delicious. Easy and delish. Thanks! :D
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear! Thank you, Gina. I’m a sauce girl myself, but something about the collard greens and lemon is just right.
Linda
This was so delicious!!! Thank you for this great recipe. I get a bunch of collard greens every week from my CSA basket and have always had a love-hate relationship with them. I love the nutritional value but their bitter taste was hard to swallow at times (literally). :) It has been a challenge to find ways to make it appetizing and they are sadly the last thing to get used or not at all. With this recipe I used almost all of it and it was delicious! Thanks again for bringing some excitement to collard greens!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Linda! So glad you enjoyed the collard greens cooked this way. Those little collard ribbons make a fun garnish for soups and such as well.
Crystal
I just made this an hour ago… an insperation
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Crystal! Glad you enjoyed it.
Missy
Made a big batch of this tonight for a bunch of fussy eaters, and it was a HUGE success! I used kamut pasta for the gluten intolerant among us, and it worked out beautifully. I scaled the recipe up for 6 people, so I did the collards in a cast-iron wok, which was just the right size and made it easy to stir quickly and keep the greens from clumping. Everyone went back for seconds, and we practically licked the bowl clean. Thank you!
Missy
Oh! and I forgot to mention that we did a lemon/thyme/olive oil marinated chicken breasts and tofu on the barbecue, sliced them and poultry eaters and vegetarians could choose their protein of choice to put on top. Something for everybody… :-)
Kate
So glad to hear it, Missy! I’ll have to hunt down some kamut pasta to try. Great idea to cook the collards in a wok, too.
MrsD
I loved this! Made it with walnuts because I can’t find pine nuts in the little town I live in…sigh. We are adding vegetarian meals to our diet twice a week. This was just delicious and we will definitely try more of your recipes now :)
Kate
Thanks for commenting! I’m so glad you’re loving this recipe. It’s so simple and tasty. Hope you enjoy the other recipes!
Samantha
I have made this recipe several times, it’s delicious! I always use crushed walnuts instead of pine nuts. This time in going to add a little bit of Kalamata olives to it. I think it will be a great addition to the dish!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Samantha! Glad you’re enjoying it! I bet olive will be lovely.
Slavomira
It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just love garlic and spice. I always (at least) use double the suggested garlic and hots in a recipe. This one came out really well that way too. I love it when my food is so spicy it hurts so good. I also topped my dish with a requisite fried runny egg. (: thank you for another winning recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Slavomira! I looove spicy food, too, but I try to keep spice levels under control for the masses. :) Glad you enjoyed this one! Fried egg sounds like a great topper.
Jess
I was looking for a recipe for collard greens on yummly’s app and your recipe popped up. I ended up adding some basil, cut the same way, and lemon juice. I also added shrimp in the last 3 minutes of cooking. It turned out really well, except that I forgot to stir the collards enough so clumping did happen- oh well. I volunteer at a kid’s community center garden and we always have tons of collards. The kids eat them raw and will eat them in salads, but I can’t give them away to the adults- everyone says they just take too long to cook. Not anymore, thanks. I think I’m going to make this recipe to demo how easy it is to cook collards.
★★★★★
Kate
Yay! Hope everyone enjoys the collard ribbon technique. Thanks, Jess!
Kathy
This was incredibly easy and WOW it was SO delicious! I used the pine nuts because I had them…but I agree, walnuts would probably be terrific too–next time!
Kate
Thank you, Kathy! :)
Erin
Omigosh, this was so delicious, even without Parmesan (to make it vegan)!
★★★★★
Kate
Yay, thanks Erin!
Angela Dunn
Loved this recipe! Never had collard greens before, and living in the south, the bacon recipe did not interest me. Made this for my family, and even my 16 year old son loved it. Am definitely recommending and will make again!! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Brandon
This recipe has turned out well for me many times and with many variations: I love it as is, I’ve made it with lacinato kale instead of collards, with oat groats instead of pasta, almonds instead of pine nuts. It’s simple, quick, delicious, and, best of all, satisfying without being too heavy. I make it for a couple weeks, forget about it for a few months, and then remember and fall in love with it all over again. And that’s what’s happening now. Bravo!
Angie
Hi, going to try this recipe! I’m dairy free and wondering if I could sub nutritional yeast for the cheese?
Rallie
Substituted sunflower seeds for pine nuts, and it was awesome! This recipe is simple, excellent, and filling.
★★★★★
Diane
I made this with bok choy and walnuts because that is what we had. It was great. I will try it again with collard greens.
★★★★★
Cara
This was AMAZING.
Substituted walnuts because I had them on hand. Added 1/4 c white wine to the collard greens, and added a bit more Parmesan into the pasta mix before serving. I wish there was more, I’d have seconds for sure! This recipe will be repeated often.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Cara! That’s great to hear.
Yolanda
Made this with Kale. Delicious, fast and easy!!
★★★★★
Kate
Perfect!
Hazel Habersham
Can not wait to try this recipe! I recently blogged about how eating junk food makes us crave junk food. However it also works the other way around. When we eat healthy our body starts to enjoy and crave the nutrition it receives. Thank you for providing healthy recipes that are not only good for you but taste good to!
Kate
You’re welcome, Hazel!
Sarah
I’ve been a long-time C+K reader (and now cookbook fanatic, too), but imagine my delight when the weekly newsletter from my CSA linked to this throwback post as recipe inspiration for the collards we’re getting in our share this week! Definitely going to have to try this out :)
Kate
That’s great, Sarah! I’m so glad they included this recipe– it’s an oldie but a goodie!
Eleanor Lessia Stadnyk
I served this along with chicken breast. My daughter thought it was a very fancy dinner.
This is now my favorite recipe for collards!
★★★★★
Stephanie
This was INCREDIBLE. I’m already planning to cook it again tomorrow – the flavours work so well.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s awesome! I’m happy you liked it so much. Thanks for the review.
Kassidy Johnson
I found out that I am not able to eat meat, and this has completely turned my world upside-down. I am still in high school and living into at home and my family is a big meat-eater family, so most nights I only eat noodles, rice, or any other type of side. These recipes look like they will help me a lot. Thank you for all your hard work and for truly following your passion, it’s really an inspiration.
Kate
It can be a transition, but this for sure will be a great resource for you! Good luck, Kassidy.
JAN RICHMAN
When I read this recipe, I thought it looked healthy (eye roll) but decided to try it. Oh. Ma. Ga. It is one of my absolute favorites! I had no idea I loved collard greens (my bf calls them “greens of collard”). Often I don’t even bother with the pasta.
★★★★★
Kate
Love it! Prepared the right way, they are delicious! Thanks for your review, Jan.
Renee
I have a beautiful bunch of very large collards in my fridge so was considering making collard wraps tonight until I found your recipe. I am Paleo/grain-free so will make with shiritaki noodles or zoodles in place of the pasta. Will serve as a side to crab-stuffed salmon w lemon butter, can hardly wait for dinner tonight!!! Thank you for sharing your hard work.
Christina
Oh wow!!! I had beautiful Swiss chart and no idea what to do with it. Luckily I have you on “speed dial “. This was so delicious and fast!! and very pretty. The chart gave the pasta a soft hew of orange. Wish I could add a picture. Thank you so much Kate.
PS Happy New Year
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Christina! To you as well. :)
Laura
Thank you for another great recipe. Made with tuscan kale and farro pasta because that is what I had on hand. Tossed in lemon rind at end. Easy and delicious
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Laura! Thanks for your review.
Lucy Leonardis
I make something very similar to this whenever I have leafy greens that need finishing off – delicious! Parmesan isn’t vegetarian though, so I use an alternative hard cheese
★★★★
Kate
Some brands are actually vegetarian. You just need to look at the ingredient list. Thanks for your review, Lucy!
Vickie
I tried this recipe and absolutely loved it! Quick and easy. This will be one of my go-to recipes when I want pasta.
★★★★★
Kate
Love to hear that!
Wendy
Made this tonight…loved it! Added pancetta with the garlic…what a flavor explosion! Someone gave me collards from their garden and needed a recipe…Amazing and now a new go to recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing your variation, Wendy!
Jess
Mad this last night, it was so simple and delicious! No leftovers with this dish, haha. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so happy you loved it, Jess! Thanks for your review.
Willow
I made this with kale and walnuts, in place of collard greens and pine nuts. Still so delicious! Definitely will make again and might try adding tofu or white beans for an extra bit of protein.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your feedback, Willow!
Curtis
I thought this was very good, and I’m not really a lover of collard greens. Next time I’m going to try this with some spiralized zucchini and squash replacing the pasta noodles.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I’m happy you loved it, Curtis.
Renee Davis
I eat Paleo and sub zoodles or shiritaki noodles each time I make this dish and it works great!!
★★★★★
Patricia
My 2 1/2 y/o Jack Russell lovess veggies and I get the Mischief Box of veggies & fruits each week from Misfits Mkt. As a fairly recent widow I am making myself new things to eat to make my 89 th year healthy and happy.
My daughter tells me via text that this is 5 star. Will have today!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy your daughter loves this recipe, I hope you do too!
Kerry Cox
OK I just was thinking “how do incorporate CG’s and pasta…i want to make them Brazilian style…” and then “I wonder if this would be good with walnuts…”!!!!?
In addition to the lemon adding flavor, i will say that as a vegetarian, my Dr told me to add lemon to my dark greens as it helps the body absorb iron. Kudos to keeping the lemon raw, as cooking it kills the enzyme that helps with absorption. Can’t wait to make this later. <3
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Kerry!
Katie
I made this recipe with walnuts instead of the pine nuts, and thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes (a friend dries them himself) instead of the red pepper flakes. Yum! I’ve also tried it with Kale, which is also good. I really want to try it with mustard greens, for an added bite. I suspect any dark leafy green would be delicious in this recipe.
★★★★★
Emma Carlsen
I love this recipe! I’d never had collard greens before so I was a bit skeptical, but it’s absolutely delicious! I’m about to try it again but replacing the parmesan with home made vegan parmesan, and I bet it’ll also be yummy!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Emma! Thanks for your review.
Victoria
Thank you for this awesome recipe. Even my husband who doesn’t know he likes healthy food loved it. The Lemon collard greens pasta was amazing. So much flavor. The garlic and pepper flakes with the lemon were perfect with the greens. We also were filled without feeling stuffed. I’m no sure I know where the star rating is but I give it as many star rating as is possible.
★★★★★
Patricia
Received collard greens in my Misfit Box this week. First time with whole leaves! I Googled and found this recipe and made a half portion. It was excellent and I have another meal to eat! Thank you!! I added a few black olives and some garlic salt to my portion. My Jack Russell’s portion did not have the onions, garlic or olives and he lick his bowl clean!
★★★★★
Kate
Fantastic! Thank you for sharing, Patricia!
Christina
We love it!! Thank you. We use Swiss chart and olive oil pressed with lemons. It’s eye rolling into the back of your head kinda good.
★★★★★
Hannah
My boyfriend and I have made this recipe four times. We love it! This time, I had a lemon infused olive oil which I drizzled on each bowl- delicious! Thanks for encouraging people to cook whole foods!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe, Hannah.
Ruchira Garg
Made this tonight–loved it and so did the kids. Thanks for a quick, tasty recipe for the greens I got in my produce box this week!
★★★★★
Sandi
Made it tonight, not a fan. Too dry – seemed like it’s missing something.
The best part was the walnuts!
★
adam
this turned out good – thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Adam!
Donna
I have never made collard greens before and all the recipes i found had ham or bacon.(which i dont eat). I found this recipe and made it for dinner tonight. It was awesome! I didnt have pine nuts so i used walnuts and i think they complimented it well. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Donna!
Cindy
I came across your lemony collard greens pasta recipe. It inspired me to mine my leftovers and pantry, and I came up with this variation: leftover grilled salmon, kale, garlic, and frozen lime slices (a gift from our Florida garden), mixed with gluten-free ramen and topped with the browned pignoli and a lemon olive oil (Florida, again). A pescatarian joy! Only joy here!
★★★★★
Ken
I’ll preface this by saying that I really didn’t make the recipe as is but used it more as a guideline and basis for something else.
I had a lot leftover collard greens, mustard greens, and kale from another recipe and didn’t know what to do with them. I never been disappointed by anything from Cookie and Kate so I looked here. I ended up using the collard greens and mustard greens and am using the kale to make kale chips.
Instead of using spaghetti I used casarecce from Italy. In some areas of Italy it is called “casareccia.” Casarecce are short pasta noodles with curled edges and a groove down the middle. They look a bit like little rolled up scrolls. I knew that it was good quality pasta because it took about 12 minutes to become al dente and not the typical 7ish minutes. I was cooking for 4 so I used a pound of pasta. I also had more probably more than double the amount of greens that are in the recipe.
I followed the recipe by chiffonading the greens. I did add the lemon juice directly into the pasta while mixing it and since I only had half of a lemon I also added some lemon zest. I didn’t have the pine nuts on hand so I used toasted walnuts. I also grilled up 2 smoked apple sage Field Roast sausages (seitan – wheat gluten) and sliced those up into the pasta. One of my daughters is vegan so she did not add cheese. The rest of us used Romano.
This was very good as I did it and I’m sure that it would also be good as it is written and at some point I will try it as it it is supposed to be. I wasn’t intending to make this but with the ingredients I had on hand I needed something to so that they wouldn’t go to waste and this was a good find. The mustard greens added a bit of spice to the dish that did well with the red pepper flakes.
★★★★★
M E Fuller
Delicious!
★★★★★
Toni Garcia
I love this recipe especially since I grow collard greens in my Coral Gables, south FL garden, year round. They are also great in my morning smoothies.
★★★★★
Kerry
I think I’ll give this recipe a try tonight. I always add extra garlic in any recipe, so I plan to do that here. I think I’ll also add some roasted tomatoes and maybe a little white wine or veggie stock to have a little more sauce to coat the pasta. Can’t wait!
Laura Franceschi
We made this for dinner last night. I had received collards in my “ugly” food box and didn’t really know how to cook them. We also got grape tomatoes in the box, so we sliced up a cup and threw in a handful of sliced basil from our garden. So yummy!
Note: as I prefer lower carbs, next time I will pull out my portion of cooked greens before adding the pasta and add my prepared shirataki noodles.
★★★★★
Cherie Kennedy
I had some aglio e olio leftovers and added my collards (your recipe). Absolutely delicious!
Emily
Have you tried this before with spaghetti squash rather than pasta?
Kate
Hi! I haven’t, but I would be interested to hear if you try it!
G.E. Boroush
Kate – thanks for this recipe. Looks positively yummy. For years my brother and I have made lemon pasta w/garlic (we are both garlic monsters!) by pressing fresh garlic directly onto the hot, just strained pasta. And squeeze a whole lemon in, mix well. Add capers if desired. So I just love this idea of adding thin sliced sauteed collards. I’ve been trying to find a way to add collards to my diet as I like them a little better than kale. So thanks!
Another way I like collards is to chiffonade them, as you do for this recipe, but much more thinly. As thin as you can get with your knife. And add the fresh thin collards to your fresh salad. Because they are so thin they are not as tough to chew and add a heartiness to a dinner salad. I am vegan so a very large, hearty dinner salad is standard for me. I also add fresh ripe pear and marinated artichoke to salad which is heaven on earth.
Thanks!
Kamala
I just made this recipe & it is delicious.I could only find large(mature) Collard green leaves which I had to cook longer.In any case I am happy to have your site brought to my attention by a relative! Will be making other vegetarian pastas that you have published.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Kamala! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Carrie
Made it, loved it!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Carrie! Thank you for your review.
Luisa
This recipe checks off all my boxes: Nutritious, delicious, easy, and inexpensive! So yummy! Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I made it with Banza chickpea pasta, which is our new favorite, and since we eat plant-based, I served it with walnut Parmesan instead of regular Parmesan. I’ll definitely be making this again. It’s so good.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy it hits all your boxes! It is quite good. Thank you for your review, Luisa!