Whole-Grain Spaghetti With Kale and Tomatoes
Hans Gissinger
Get ready for a pasta dinner that’s both mom- and kid-approved. Sautéed kale leaves and halved grape tomatoes offer a flavorful, chunky sauce, while chopped roasted almonds add a salty crunch. The kale cooks down quickly, so if the whole bunch doesn’t fit in your pan initially, no worries; throw a few more handfuls in after 30 seconds or so. Using whole-grain spaghetti noodles, rather than the plain white version, nets a higher amount of fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins. So you can dive in, knowing that the pasta everybody’s twirling around their forks doesn’t just taste great—it’s pretty healthy, to boot.
How to Make It
Step 1
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 3
Add the kale and cook, tossing frequently, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, tossing frequently, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Step 4
Add the kale mixture, almonds, pecorino, and reserved cooking water to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve with additional pecorino.
uptowndebbie
2014-07-27T21:45:05-04:00
Great recipe. Added shrimp, basil and a lot more garlic. Used parmesan cheese.
Veggielover
2014-02-27T18:19:09-05:00
Followed recipe as stated but reserved 1/2c. of the salted pasta water to make sure pasta wasn't too dry, and added crushed red pepper flakes to my dish. This was pure heaven. Will be a favorite to enjoy over and over and a great change from the usual pasta and sauce.
AlexisVS
2013-04-09T11:52:06-04:00
Yes to more garlic! I also used baby kale to avoid the thick stems found in the regular variety, which was perfect. This is a quick, healthy, delicious meal and I look forward to making it again. I think it would also be good served with chicken mixed in.
humble1
2013-02-05T01:34:02-05:00
I didn't tweek this and enjoyed it very much. But I certainly will make it again and use some of the suggestions. A nice healthy, light meal.
Foodie2013
2013-01-22T04:52:46-05:00
I used Spaghetti Squash instead! Yes to more garlic...Really delicious!
HeySabs
2013-01-01T21:00:11-05:00
I prefer a saucy pasta, so I added a jar of Rao's Arrabiatta sauce at the end. I also doubled the garlic. It was perfect. Also, be sure to use the largest skillet you own, even a wok, if you have one. If your skillet is average size, just add the kale in batches. It wilts down pretty quickly, making room for more. I will definitely be making this again.
trina1
2012-10-08T10:46:53-04:00
Delicious! I followed some other comments and made my own tweaks--used about 4-5 cloves garlic, added a little chicken broth with the kale, and a little of half and half at the end also added some shrimp. It was tasty, not dry at all and had some protein for a full meal.
kalliepayne
2012-05-04T04:31:48-04:00
I loved this recipe. Like several other readers, I tweaked it, but that's typical for me. It's also good if you add some chopped mushroom to the saute. Then I tossed with parm cheese ( because I didn't have Pecorino) and about 2 TB of cream at the end and it was amazing- I got lot's of compliments on it. Will be one of my go- to dishes from now on, yum,
NewRecipeFan
2011-06-29T14:02:27-04:00
I thought this recipe was awful. I was hesitant to try it but after reading all the positive comments I thought I would try it. I was very disappointed that I did. The combination of the "lettuce like" texture of the kale did not mesh very well with the soft pasta. It was a weird combination to eat. Also there was very little flavor. Overall an extremely tasteless meal.
Lizardesque
2011-05-18T07:35:11-04:00
Perhaps I wasn't vigilant enough about what I considered "thick stems," but the kale did not come anywhere close to being tender after 2-3 minutes--more like 15 minutes, by which time the onions and garlic were pretty overcooked. Also, I don't know what kind of skillets people have, but "huge pot" is more appropriate here. Otherwise, there's no way to fit all that kale in before it cooks down.
