This cauliflower and kale pasta has lots of healthy vegetables, savory capers, and parmesan cheese, all tossed in the most delicious lemon, garlic, and white wine sauce. It’s easy enough to make for a weeknight meal!

Cauliflower and Kale Pasta with Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce - Daisybeet

The best meals are the ones that are easy to prepare, taste like they came from your favorite restaurant, and make you feel good. This cauliflower and kale pasta checks off all the boxes!

This pasta dish combines roasted cauliflower, braised kale, capers, and fresh herbs in the tastiest garlic, lemon, and white wine sauce. Add some freshly grated parmesan cheese, and you’ve got your new favorite pasta recipe!

Looking for more cauliflower recipes? Try my lemon roasted cauliflower with capers, Cauliflower piccata, or Moroccan cauliflower!

Cauliflower and Kale Pasta with Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce - Daisybeet

What’s in cauliflower and kale pasta?

Here are all the ingredients you need to make this recipe. You likely have most of them in your pantry already!

  • Linguine: I’ve tried this recipe with regular linguine and whole wheat, and actually prefer the whole wheat. You can use whatever linguine you have on hand, even a gluten free variety.
  • Cauliflower: You’ll roast this in the oven to bring out its sweet, nutty flavors.
  • Garlic: One of the staples in the sauce – you’ll use 6 cloves.
  • Lemon juice: Freshly juiced is best.
  • Lemon zest: To add more lemon flavor to the roasted cauliflower.
  • White wine: Choose a white wine you actually enjoy the taste of – not cooking wine – it makes a huge difference! A dry white wine is best, such as Sauvignon Blanc.
  • Kale: I recommend using mature curly or lacinato kale, as it holds up well to the braising process.
  • Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated is best in this recipe, as the flavor is more pronounced than pre-grated cheese.
  • Capers: These add an irresistible salty and lemony flavor to the pasta.
  • Parsley: Fresh herbs add freshness to the pasta to balance out the salty, acidic, and savory tastes.
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Red pepper flakes
Cauliflower and Kale Pasta with Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce - Daisybeet

Cauliflower Nutrition

Cauliflower is one of the most versatile vegetables, and is also packed with nutrients. It has a mid, slightly sweet and nutty flavor that tastes great prepared roasted, mashed, steamed, or fried.

A 1 cup serving of cauliflower has the following nutrients:

  • Dietary fiber: 2 grams (12% of your daily needs)
  • 100% of your daily needs for vitamin C
  • Various antioxidants, which may help prevent diseases and have anti-inflammatory properties

Kale Nutrition

Kale is a hardy green leafy vegetable that packs a big nutrient punch. A one cup serving of raw kale provides plenty of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritious compounds:

  • 100% or more of your daily Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and Vitamin C needs
  • 2 grams of dietary fiber
  • 329 mg of potassium (9% of your daily needs)

Similar to cauliflower, kale also has plenty of powerful antioxidants to keep your immune system in good shape.

Cauliflower and Kale Pasta with Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce - Daisybeet

How to make cauliflower and kale pasta

Start by chopping the cauliflower into bite size florets. Toss them with olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven until cauliflower begins to brown and crisp.

Saute the garlic in olive oil in a large saute pan. Add seasonings and kale, stirring until the kale begins to wilt and is coated in the garlic oil.

Braise the kale by adding white wine and lemon juice, and letting it cook in the liquid. Once the white wine reduces in the pan, add the rest of the liquid and continue to cook. Kale will become very wilted and tender.

Cook the linguine according to package instructions in a large pot of salted water. Reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before straining.

Add the pasta water, cooked pasta, chopped parsley, shredded parmesan cheese, and capers to the saute pan with the kale. Stir well to combine everything, making sure all the noodles are coated in the sauce.

Gently stir in the cauliflower, then you are ready to eat! Serve with fresh cracked pepper and more grated parmesan, if desired.

More vegetarian and vegan pasta recipes to try

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!

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Cauliflower and Kale Pasta with Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Alex
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4
  • Category: main dish
Print Recipe

Description

This cauliflower and kale pasta has lots of healthy vegetables, savory capers, and parmesan cheese, all tossed in the most delicious lemon, garlic, and white wine sauce. It’s easy enough to make for a weeknight meal!

Ingredients

Scale

Roasted Cauliflower

Additional Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 6 cups curly kale, roughly torn into pieces
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 lb whole wheat linguine
  • 1/2 cup pasta water reserved from pasta cooking
  • 1/4 cup capers
  • 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Toss cauliflower florets in olive oil, lemon zest, and a generous shake of salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until fork tender and starting to turn golden brown and crispy.
  3. While cauliflower roasts, prepare the kale and sauce. Heat half the olive oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant (about 1 minute). Be careful not to burn the garlic.
  4. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the kale, tossing to coat in the garlic and oil. Let cook for 1-2 minutes until kale begins to wilt.
  5. Add half the white wine and half the lemon juice to the kale. Stir to mix everything up. The wine will reduce and the liquid will significantly decrease. Once this happens, add the rest of the wine and lemon juice and repeat. Reduce to a simmer to keep warm until pasta and cauliflower are done cooking.
  6. Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Don’t forget to reserve pasta cooking water before straining.
  7. Add the pasta to the kale and sauce pan with the reserved pasta water. Stir up the pasta to coat it all in the sauce.
  8. Stir in the capers, parsley, and parmesan cheese until well combined. Add more salt to taste, if needed.
  9. Stir in the roasted cauliflower. 
  10. Serve in bowls topped with more freshly grated parmesan and fresh cracked pepper, if desired.

Keywords: cauliflower and kale pasta, vegetarian

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Cauliflower and Kale Pasta with Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce - Daisybeet