Description

A bold pasta dish made with spaghetti, garlic, and a rich harissa sauce, tossed with kale and olives. Finished with toasted nuts, lemon zest, and optional cheese, it offers a balance of savory and vibrant flavors. This satisfying meal brings a simple Mediterranean-inspired twist to your table.

description of image
Credit: Kateat
Level: Easy Prep: 20 minutes Yield: 1 servings
Total: 20 minutes Inactive:  Serving Size: 

Ingredients

  • 3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
  • salt
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 2 tablespoons harissa (paste)
  • 8 ounces (1/2 pound) spaghetti (whole wheat pasta, brown rice pasta or farro pasta are good options, farro spaghetti pasta has 8g of protein and 3g fiber per serving!)
  • 1 small bunch kale, washed, deveined, torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup olives, pitted
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup goat or feta cheese, crumbled optional

Directions

  1.  Bring a big pot of water to a boil.
  2.  Place the cloves of garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle them with a big pinch of salt. Crush with the flat side of a knife. Now crush and chop, crush and chop until you have a garlic paste.
  3.  In a small bowl whisk together the garlic paste, harissa, and olive oil. Set aside.
  4.  Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta, and cook per package instructions.
  5.  Just before the pasta is done add the kale to the pasta water, count to six. Drain and set aside.
  6.  Heat half of the harissa dressing in the now empty pasta pot. Add the pasta and kale, olives, nuts, and lemon zest. Stir over the heat for a minute or so, then turn everything out onto a platter and drizzle with the remaining harissa olive oil.
  7.  Top with the crumbled goat or feta cheese
 

Nutrition Facts

1 servings per recipe
Serving size: ### oz
Calories 391.1 per serving

Contents % Daily Value
Total Fat 31.1 g 48 %
   
Saturated Fat 5.2 g 26 %
Trans Fat 0.3g  
Cholesterol 18.2mg 6%
Sodium 402.6mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 23.7mg 8%
Dietary Fiber 4.2g 17%
Total Sugars 2g  
   
Protein 9.2g 18%
Vitamin A 4%  
Vitamin C 27%  
Calcium 17%  
Iron 17%  
   
The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
 
Jeyakumar, Angeline, Gastelum, A., Shaw, W. 2026, Mediterranean Diet: Harrisa Spaghetti, University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Recipes

Learn more about the author(s)

Angeline Jeyakumar
Angeline Jeyakumar
 

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