Tomato and Kale Spaghetti

Love it or hate it, kale is an economical and delicious way to get more nutrient-dense goodness into a comforting bowl of pasta like in the case of this Tomato and Kale Spaghetti! Saute the kale in butter with garlic and shallots to make a delicious and aromatic start to this dish. Garnish with salty, nutty, grated parmesan and dig into this healthy and hearty dinner!

Kale is not usually associated with comfort food, but when it is combined with pasta in a buttery, garlicky sauce, it most certainly can be comforting! If you don’t believe me, you must try this Tomato and Kale Spaghetti and prove me otherwise. It’s so delicious and it can be on your table tonight in about 30 minutes or less!

The more I blog about food, the more I learn about how food grows and gets to our dinner table.  Take kale, for instance.  I always thought that kale was a summer product, but it turns out, that kale is a fall harvest; in fact, it can grow well into the winter.  Last summer was the first time I tried my hand at growing kale. I grew two types. The first was the common curly green kale that you see in this recipe here. The other was a deep purple kale called red Russian, which to be honest, I found to be chewier and not a texture that I cared much for. This upcoming summer, I’m sticking to the common green!

If you are 100% against the idea of incorporating kale into your spaghetti recipe, you could substitute it with Swiss chard if that’s more to your liking. You can also use spinach, but because spinach cooks and wilts much faster than chard or kale, I would highly recommend you not add it to the dish until you add in the tomatoes.

YOU CAN USE FROZEN CHOPPED KALE TOO!

Not everyone likes the idea of chopping and washing kale before making a spaghetti dinner. If that’s you, you can easily substitute the fresh kale with frozen chopped kale. It is easy to find frozen chopped kale in the freezer section of most grocery chains. I used fresh kale here because as I previously mentioned, I grew it in my backyard. Oftentimes though, I will use frozen kale and it never disappoints.

Using fresh kale will just mean that you’ll have to chop it and wash it really well. Taking that route will only add a few minutes to your prep time. But, if coming home from work and needing to get a good dinner on the table without piling up the dishes is not favourable, opt for frozen kale. At the end of the day, the choice is yours.

Please note that if you do decide to use frozen chopped kale, you can treat it just like fresh kale in this recipe. Because frozen kale will have more moisture, so you will need to saute the kale, shallot, and garlic mixture for a couple of minutes longer. If you have any leftover kale, why not try my Brown Rice with Kale or my Potato and Kale Gratin!?

CAN I SUBSTITUTE THE SHALLOTS?

If you can find shallots, or if you can afford the extra money, then go for it. Will the dish be that different if you substitute the shallots for onions? No. Go ahead and use onions. Please note that onions tend to take a little longer to cook and brown, since they are not as delicate as shallots, so allow for a few more minutes of cooking time. Either way you dice it, you will need about a quarter cup of shallots or onions, depending on the size of a shallot, I can usually get about a quarter cup from two or three of them. So you may need one or two shallots in total which would equate to about a quarter of a yellow or white onion.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Pasta – I’m using spaghetti, but any pasta shape will do.
• Olive Oil
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves for the best result.
• Shallots – I love cooking with shallots. They have great onion flavour, but it’s milder and sweeter.
• Kale – See notes above on using fresh versus frozen kale.
• Salt & Pepper 
• Cherry Tomatoes – Any little tomato will do here such as grape tomatoes or mini heirlooms.
• Butter
• Parmesan – As I have mentioned so many times before, freshly grated parmesan is best, but the stuff in the can will work here too.

HOW TO MAKE TOMATO AND KALE SPAGHETTI

Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. Drain well, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water, and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kale, shallots, garlic, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes or until the kale is nicely wilted.

Add the tomatoes and butter. Stir them into the kale and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the tomatoes start to blister and pop. Next, add the cooked, drained spaghetti to the skillet, along with the parmesan cheese and reserved pasta water. Toss well with tongs to coat and cook just long enough to reheat the pasta – 2-3 minutes will do just fine. Plate and garnish with more grated parmesan. Serve immediately.

HOW TO REHEAT LEFTOVER PASTA

Reheating leftover pasta is always a risk because overcooked pasta can easily become gluey and not very satisfying to bite into. Whenever you are reheating pasta, the best way to combat a not-so-favourable texture is to add more fat. Here’s how I do it.

For this type of pasta, I would add a teaspoon of butter to a skillet along with one tablespoon of water. Over medium heat, allow the butter to melt. Once melted, add the leftover pasta to the skillet and place a lid on it. Wait for 2 minutes and then use tongs to toss the pasta, loosening it up and mixing that melted butter and water with the pasta and sauce. If it’s still too dry, add a little bit of olive oil and put the lid back on for another minute or two.

Toss again and continue to do this until the pasta is fully reheated and the sauce has transformed its way back to a glistening consistency. Plate, garnish, and get it into your belly!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!