This comes together very quickly and is perfect for busy nights. Thanks to brown butter, the pasta tastes nutty, there’s crunch from wilted kale, briny feta cheese, and a little sweetness from raisins. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: How to make brown butter perfectly every time. Brown butter is magical and tastes toasted and nutty. Use it in both sweet and savory dishes. Jump to the Brown Butter Recipe.
How to Make Pasta with Brown Butter and Kale
I love this recipe. In the time it takes to boil and cook the pasta, everything will be done. I know the raisins might sound a little strange for pasta, but trust me. Brown butter + feta + golden raisins is awesome. As the pasta cooks, we get everything else ready. First, plump up the raisins. To do this, simply pour hot water on top of them and let them sit for a few minutes. Next, make the brown butter. It’s easy and only takes 5 minutes to do. Basically, you swirl butter in a pan over medium-low heat until the butter solids toast and turn brown. As this happens the butter becomes nutty. Finally, just before the pasta is finished cooking, throw a bunch of kale into the pot with pasta. After just a few minutes, the kale will be wilted and perfectly cooked for the pasta. For more crave-worthy kale recipes try our Kale and Bean Salad with Tahini Dressing and Walnuts, this Simple Sautéed Kale with Garlic, these Easy Homemade Kale Chips or this recipe for Braised Kale, Bacon and Egg on Toast (it’s utterly delicious). Recipe updated, originally posted April 2012. Since posting this in 2012, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne 1/3 cup golden raisins or regular raisins Boiling water 3 cup packed kale, tough stems and ribs removed 4 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese Salt and fresh ground black pepper 2Meanwhile, add raisins to a small bowl then cover with boiling water and set aside until pasta has cooked. 3Add butter to a wide heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, continuously swirl the butter around the pan. The butter will go from brown to burnt quickly, so stay close to the pan when you do this. Continue swirling the butter over the heat until it is light brown in color. Once light brown and smells nutty, remove from the heat. 4Drain the raisins then add to the brown butter as well as the pasta and kale. Toss well, taste then season with salt and/or pepper as needed. Serve with feta cheese scattered on top.
