This 30-minute kale pasta salad is made for leftovers (that you’ll actually want to eat)

Is there even a point in cooking dinner if the leftovers can’t hold up the next day as a delicious lunch? Answer: Yes, but it’s way easier to motivate yourself to spend time in the kitchen when you know your efforts are resulting in more than one meal.

To help you master the art of cooking leftovers you’ll actually look forward to eating, on our latest episode of Cook With Us senior food and health editor Jessie Van Amburg challenged cookbook author, food writer, and trained pastry chef Klancy Miller to create a dish that works double time as a solid weeknight staple that’ll make it into your lunchbox.

Oh, and the other half of the challenge? The meal must be high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats, and include gluten-free pasta. Plus, it must come together in under 30 minutes. No pressure or anything, right?

To hit on all of these asks, Miller whipped up a kale pasta salad recipe using ingredients from Kroger, where she’s shopped since her childhood. “I grew up grocery shopping at Kroger with my mom when my family lived in Atlanta,” she says. “I’ve always loved Kroger, and I’m happy it continues to offer a huge selection of truly healthy food options for all kinds of people with different health concerns and cooking preferences.”

Now it’s even easier to spot those healthy food options with the OptUP app, a nutrition-scoring app that ranks food from one to 100. You just search the food or scan the product’s barcode in any store, and the app will show the nutrition score of the product, plus any foods that score higher.

The highlights of Miller’s recipe? Simple Truth Red Lentil Quinoa Fusilli (OptUP 86), onions, kale, toasted Simple Truth Walnut Halves + Pieces (OptUP 82), pomegranate seeds, Simple Truth Ground turmeric (OptUP 80), and tahini vinaigrette drizzled on top. Stomach grumbling yet?

“I think it’s nice to have a few different textures and temperatures in any dish,” Miller says. “I learned this in pastry school. You always want to have different colors, differences textures, something warm, something cold.” Especially because when you go for round two at lunchtime, the varied textures help each bite taste fresher than the last (no soggy salads here).

Ready to find out how Miller’s recipe held up during the challenge? You’ll have to tune into the video to find out—but go ahead and clear some room in your fridge to make space for those leftovers.

Watch the video above to see how Miller’s kale pasta salad recipe comes together—and snag the full recipe for yourself.

Sponsored by Kroger Health