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Kale Puttanesca - A Family Feast

Kale Puttanesca

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Kale Puttanesca - A simple, fresh and zesty way to enjoy cooked kale! The flavors are fantastic!

Last month over the holidays, we hosted Christmas dinner at our house for my husband Jack’s side of the family, and this delicious Kale Puttanesca was one of the side dishes that we served. As soon as I took a bite, I turned to Jack and said, “Yummy! We need to share this on the blog!”

So here it is!

This Kale Puttanesca uses the same approach as our earlier recipe for No-Cook Puttanesca Sauce Over Pasta. It has a wonderful zesty, briny flavor along with fresh tomatoes and grated parmesan cheese, and it really is the perfect complement to jazz up some healthy kale!

Kale Puttanesca - A simple, fresh and zesty way to enjoy cooked kale! The flavors are fantastic!

What’s also great about this super simple, healthy and delicious dish is that you can make the puttanesca sauce in advance, then just toss it over freshly cooked kale or other greens! It’s great for serving at a large dinner party – and it’s also great to have on hand when you want a healthy side dish any day of the week!

We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!

recipe
Kale Puttanesca - A Family Feast
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

Kale Puttanesca

Yield: 4 servings
Prep: 15 minsCook: 5 minsTotal: 20 minutes
Pin for Later Rate Recipe Print

Ingredients

  • 1 2-ounce can anchovies
  • 2 medium cloves garlic
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 3 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • ½ cup chopped parsley
  • 1 pound fresh ripe tomato, diced, (OR one 14-ounce can diced tomato with juice)
  • ¼ cup pitted oil cured Italian olives, cut in half
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 head of Kale (about one pound, trimmed 12 ounces more or less), roughly cut up into pieces
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese


Instructions

  1. Drain anchovies and put in a cup with water for ten minutes. Drain and dry.
  2. In a mortar with pestle, add anchovies and mash. Add garlic and a pinch of salt and mash until a paste forms. Add capers and a teaspoon of oil and continue mashing. Add parsley and the rest of the oil and mash back into a loose paste.
  3. In a small bowl, combine contents of mortar along with tomatoes and olives. Depending on how well you rinsed anchovies, you may or may not need the salt so taste first. Add pepper and reserve this sauce for later. This sauce will not be cooked.
  4. In a medium pot, heat stock, add kale and cover. Cook five minutes and pull from heat just as the kale starts to turn color.
  5. Add room temperature uncooked sauce and cheese. Stir and serve.

Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.


Notes

The puttanesca sauce can be made well in advance and refrigerated. Just be sure to bring to room temperature before using.


© Author: A Family Feast
Cuisine: Italian Method: Stovetop

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Martha

Martha is part of the husband-wife team that creates A Family Feast. She loves to cook and entertain for family and friends, and she believes that serving a great meal is one of the best ways to show someone that you care. Martha is a self-taught home cook, who loves to read cookbooks and try new recipes. After a decades-long career in business and online marketing, she now runs A Family Feast full-time. Her specialties are baking, desserts, vegetables and pasta dishes.

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Updated: 2/18/24

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  1. Bea says

    Posted on 1/9/15 at 6:47 pm

    Everything sounds so good – Kale plus olives, tomatoes, anchovies, and park; great twist on puttanesca. Love it!

    Reply
  2. Nikki @ Nik Snacks says

    Posted on 1/9/15 at 6:11 pm

    This looks so beautiful! The Parm looks like snow!

    Reply
  3. Maggie says

    Posted on 1/9/15 at 4:43 pm

    This looks amazing, but is there anything that can replace the anchovies so it can be made vegetarian? I may just leave them out, but I don’t want to lose that layer of flavor if I don’t have to.

    Reply
    • Martha says

      Posted on 1/10/15 at 9:21 am

      Hi Maggie – Although the anchovies give it a unique taste, I think you’ll still have a great sauce if you just leave it out! Hope you like the recipe!

      Reply
    • Maria Marinelli says

      Posted on 1/7/18 at 11:27 am

      Maggie, If you buy anchovies packed in oil you can use the oil to get the same flavor as anchovies.

      Reply
  4. Paula - bell'alimento says

    Posted on 1/9/15 at 3:51 pm

    You had me at puttanesca! Yum.

    Reply
  5. Lana | Never Enough Thyme says

    Posted on 1/9/15 at 3:20 pm

    This is definitely something I can get on board with!! <3

    Reply
  6. Lana | Never Enough Thyme says

    Posted on 1/9/15 at 3:18 pm

    Very interesting twist on puttanesca! Looks delicious.

    Reply
  7. Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says

    Posted on 1/9/15 at 1:30 pm

    This looks like the perfect side dish! Delicious!

    Reply
  8. Cookin Canuck says

    Posted on 1/9/15 at 12:10 pm

    I just made a puttanesca-based recipe, too (posting next week). I just can’t get enough of those flavors, so I definitely need to try this kale recipe!

    Reply
  9. Kate @ Diethood says

    Posted on 1/9/15 at 12:04 pm

    What an awesome way to enjoy Kale!! So rustic and of course, gorgeous!

    Reply
  10. The Food Hunter says

    Posted on 1/9/15 at 11:29 am

    I want this right now…and it is only 8am

    Reply
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