Recipe Background
Springtime Pasta Bake blends creamy cheese and kale, perfect for celebratory dinners.
When I was gearing up for my big promotion dinner, I needed a dish that felt like a celebration yet was simple enough not to stress me out. My fridge was a bit of a disaster—a half-eaten block of Monterey Jack cheese, some kale that was on its last leg, and a forgotten pack of shell pasta. What sprang from this chaotic fridge cleanout became my Springtime Pasta Bake. The combination of creamy cheese, tender kale, and a hint of hot sauce felt like a victory on my palate as much as my career felt in that moment.
Embarking on the task, I remembered a chef's advice: always let your kale cool before mixing it with the cheese sauce. It’s easier to chop and keeps the dish from going all mushy. To get the breadcrumbs just right, giving them a gentle stir with olive oil helps achieve that perfect golden-brown topping when broiling. Getting the onions just tender before they hit their floury destiny in the butter soothes the onion's bite and sets a sweet foundation that carries through each creamy bite.
In the glow of the oven light, watching the panko crust turn golden, I realized this dish carried more than flavors. It held a memory of that pivotal career stepping stone. Sharing it with family and friends that night, their approving hums made this quirky creation a new staple for celebratory dinners in our home.
Ingredients
- 4 quarts water
- 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 (16-ounce) package fresh kale chopped
- 4 cups whole milk
- 6 tablespoons salted butter cold and cut into pieces
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 (8-ounce) package Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces medium shell pasta cooked
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
- Adjust an oven rack 8-9 inches from the heat, then turn the oven on the broil setting.
- Grease a 7x11-inch baking dish.
- In a large Dutch oven over high heat, add the water and 1/4 cup of the salt and bring to a boil.
- Add the chopped kale to the boiling water and cook until it is tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Drain the cooked kale and pat it dry with paper towels. Wipe the Dutch oven clean.
- Let the kale cool, about 10 minutes.
- In a 1-quart glass measuring cup, add the milk, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave until it is warm, about 3 minutes.
- In the same Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the onions to the melted butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add the flour to the onions and cook, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes.
- Add the warm milk to the onion-flour mixture and whisk to combine.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the milk mixture to a low boil and cook, whisking frequently, until it has thickened, about 6 minutes.
- Transfer the Dutch oven from the heat, then add the Monterey Jack cheese, the hot sauce, the black pepper, and the remaining salt to the milk mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Roughly chop the cooled kale.
- Add the chopped kale and the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
- Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs and the olive oil and stir to combine. Sprinkle it over the pasta mixture.
- Broil the pasta bake until the panko breadcrumbs are golden-brown and the bake is heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve.
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