It’s a weeknight and you really want pasta. Ordinarily you’d boil a package of spaghetti, dump some tomato sauce on top and call it a night, but you’re eating keto, and that's just too much of a carb bomb. Luckily, Dana Carpender, author of The Keto For One Cookbook, is saving the day with her quick and tasty recipe for keto pasta with lemon-kale chicken. And did we mention it's only 9g carbs per serving?

The secret to making the meal extra easy? “I buy just enough kale for the recipe from the grocery store salad bar—no leftovers,” Carpender says. And if you’re not into chicken thighs, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breast, too.

RELATED: 40 Ketogenic Dinner Recipes You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less

Keto Pasta with Lemon-Kale Chicken

Servings: Makes 1 serving

Time:

Ingredients:

One 8-ounce (225g) package tofu shirataki noodles (spaghetti, fettucine or angel hair)

6 ounces (170g) boneless, skinless dark-meat chicken (from 1 or 2 thighs)

3 tablespoons (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 cup (67g) lightly packed stemmed and chopped kale

1½ teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons (10g) grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare the shirataki noodles according to the package instructions. While the noodles are cooking, cut the chicken into bite-size cubes.

2. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil. Toss in the chicken, garlic and red-pepper flakes, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

3. When the chicken is no longer pink, toss in the kale and sauté until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, then add the shirataki noodles and toss until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Pile the noodles on a plate or in a bowl, top with the Parmesan and dig in.