Kale Pesto Cavatelli with Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Kale Pesto Cavatelli with Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts- superfood kale pesto with hints of basil and lemon, sundried tomatoes and crispy roasted brussel sprouts give this pasta a delicious nutritional boost that’s packed with flavor!
With all of the recent holiday-themed recipes, I figured we could use something green to balance things out. And trust me, it doesn’t get more green than this cavatelli.
If you follow me on Instagram then you might have already seen a sneak peak at this recipe. It’s from a new plant-based meal plan delivery service called Purple Carrot. Have you heard of it?
They reached out to me to participate in their 30 Day Plant-Based Dinner Challenge and I jumped on the opportunity. I try to eat plant-based as often as possible because it gives me so much energy and I also enjoy knowing that I’m doing my part for the environment. But sometimes it can be exhausting to think of what to make and then have to go shopping for everything. I welcomed the idea of letting someone else do the work for a change.
Depending on which plan you sign up for, Purple Carrot sends 2 or 3 meals including pre-measured responsibly sourced ingredients and step-by-step directions right to your front door.
This Kale Pesto Cavatelli was the first meal I made and I was blown away by how fresh everything was. I have the tendency to be very picky about my produce but there no qualms at all.
Another bonus? It only took me 30 minutes to make and each serving has 20 grams of protein.
Other meals that I’ve tried so far include:
- Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Spiced Date Vinaigrette
- Tofu Bahn Mi with Kimchi Mayonnaise
- Barley Lentil Pilaf with Celeriac Chips and Cranberry Mint Dressing
- Drunken Noodles with Tofu and Chinese Broccoli
- Vegetable Biryani with Green Beans and Mushrooms
It’s truly a delicious way to get more veggies into your diet and I think it make a great gift idea for someone you love. You can click here to see what recipes are on the menu this week!
If you’re interested in giving Purple Carrot a try, they are currently offering Making Thyme for Health readers $30 off of your first order. Click here to sign-up and use the offer code “30DAYS” at checkout and it will automatically be applied.
Kale Pesto Cavatelli with Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 30

Ingredients:
- 7 ounces brussels sprouts
- 6 ounces cavatelli pasta (or similar whole grain pasta)
- 1 lemon
- fresh basil
- 4 ounces curly kale, stems removed
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (more or less, depending on preferences)
- 1 ounce sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
Directions:
Salt a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Preheat the oven to 450°F then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse and dry the brussels sprouts, trim the ends, and peel off as many leaves as you can while reserving the cores. Transfer the leaves and the cores to the baking sheet then toss with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Baking in the oven until brown and crispy, for about 6-7 minutes. Add the cavatelli to the boiling water and cook until al dente, for about 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile make the pesto by combining the kale leaves, basil, garlic, almonds, juice of lemon, and chili flakes with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt & pepper then blend until smooth. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Add the water to the pesto and blend for about 10 seconds, until smooth.
Transfer the pasta back to the pot with the pesto and stir to combine. Add the brussels sprouts and sundried tomatoes then season with additional salt & pepper, if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
This post was created in partnership with Purple Carrot. I only share brands that I truly love and that I think you will too. As always, all opinions and text are entirely my own. Thank you for your support!
This looks like something I would LOVE to eat!! I’m always down for pasta, of course, but I especially love the pesto and the crispy brussels sprouts (which are super underrated, IMO!!)
The crispy brussel sprouts are everything!
You had me immediately at brussels sprouts! My level of obsession is slightly out of hand! haha This dish sounds sooo good! And I am alll about balancing out cookies with greens!
I’m obsessed with them too! I never thought to roast the leaves so that they’re crispy though. They’re delicious that way!
That shape of pasta is too fun! I made kale pesto the other night for dinner, but then overcooked my rice pasta so it was a less than par dinner. I love adding nutritious ingredients like kale and hemp seeds to pesto — easy way to add in nutrition. xo
Aw man, I hate it when that happens! At least you still got the nutrition from the pesto? ;)
Mmm this looks so good! I love hearing about all these meal services. I’ve only gotten to sample a couple meals from different ones, but during busy weeks I would love to have that!
It’s such a great option if you don’t have a lot of time to meal plan and shop!
The Purple Carrot sounds wonderful, and this is so my kind of dish! Your teaser on IG got me very hungry for it, so I’m so glad to see it in these big, beautiful photos now. This dish looks eye-poppingly delicious and I wish it was my dinner tonight!
Thanks Marcie! It really was delicious! <3
Can you believe I’ve never tried a meal delivery service? I UBER want to! Purple carrot sounds like a great fit – I love the plant-based spin, and this bowl is making my taste buds do some serious salivating. Must get on this pronto!
Woah! For me the highlight of this dish is roasted and crispy brussel sprouts. Kale is very healthy as well. I will give this a try for sure.
Thanks Genevia! Hope you enjoy!
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I love this! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?
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