Here's a super simple vegetarian pasta recipe that you can make with items you probably already have. You can really make this your own with some easy modifications...more on that later, BUT FIRST, THE RECIPE! Tips, tricks, and substitutions in my post AFTER the recipe!
It would be an understatement to say that I love pasta. This recipe is my favorite way to make a pasta dish that is sauce-less, made with fresh ingredients and quick. . For how much I love to cook, sometimes you just need a good meal that you can have to the table in under 30 minutes. The best part of this recipe is that you can have the whole thing done in the time it takes to bring water to a boil and cook the pasta.
And on that note, start with bringing a large pot of water to a boil (Don't salt your water until its boiling). While you're waiting for the water to boil you should have plenty of time to prep your other ingredients. I like to have everything ready before putting the pasta in the water so everything cooks at the same time.
Start by measuring a teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Slice your cherry tomatoes in half and thinly slicing your garlic cloves. If you don't really like slices of garlic in your food feel free to mince or prep your garlic by running it through a garlic press. I personally love the bite of the larger pieces of garlic (sorry vampires).
Next, shred your cheese. Easy enough. While I would love for my pasta to be 90% parmesan I try to limit this to about "1/4 cup" for 2 portions. Don't tell anyone, but I PROBABLY added a bit more when no one was looking. I am definitely one of those people that freaks the waiter out when they tell you to tell them when to stop with the parmesan. Don't stop, sir.
Finally, the messiest step. De-stem your kale and tear about 2 cups into a medium bowl. Drizzle about a half of a tablespoon of olive oil onto the kale and using your hands start rubbing the kale until it turns bright green and softens a bit. This is a very crucial step. You have to massage the kale to release the flavors. This will make your kale less bitter and soften the leaves to avoid overcooking when you add it to your pan later on. I've added a little before and after photo so you can see how your kale will appear brighter and will also reduce in size.
And that's it. That is all the prep that needs to be done for this recipe. I like having all my prepped ingredients laid out before getting started. I won't be scrambling for things or letting things over cook while I get something ready.
By this point your water should have started boiling. Now is the time to generously salt the water. Salt actually raises the boiling point of water so give it a few seconds to come back up to a boil and then add your pasta to the water. Give a a quick stir to keep your noodles from sticking and now we move onto our veggies! Don't forget to set a timer for your pasta. Cook according to the package instructions. Mine cooked for 9 minutes to a perfect al dente.
Let a large sauce pan or a large frying pan drizzle come to temperature on medium high and then add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into your pan. My drizzle looked like a creepy little face so I had to share it. It's like a foodie Rorschach test. What does that say about me.
Add your garlic and sauté until they becomes fragrant...about 1-2 minutes. Then you'll want to add your tomatoes and let those cook for about 2-3 minutes until you see them start to blister. Try to avoid stirring when you add the tomatoes to help them blister. Your tomato skins will start to wrinkle and the tomatoes will start releasing some of their juices. Now add your massaged kale and crushed red pepper (if you like it spicy add more!) and allow to cook another 2-3 minutes. Your kale will be warm and start to cook but you won't loose that nice texture and flavor from massaging it earlier. It will still have a bit of a "bite"
At this point you can turn your veggies onto your stove's lowest setting to avoid overcooking until your noodles are done. Drain your noodles, and add them straight into your veggie pan. Toss your noodles with your veggies. I like to give them a stir and then use tongs to really mix the ingredients together. At this point add salt to taste.
Plate your pasta and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and you're all done! Fast, simple, and delicious. And it looks great too!
Looking for Variations?
If you want to try some variations on this dish I would recommend substituting the kale for spinach. You can skip the massage and add the spinach when you would the kale. This will give it just a few minutes to wilt perfectly without over cooking.
I've also added broccoli to this recipe instead of kale when I've had extra lying around from other recipes. Chop the broccoli into bite size pieces and add to your pasta water 5 minutes before the pasta is finished cooking. (Yes, you will be boiling both at the same time!). Then drain both the pasta and broccoli and add to your garlicky tomatoes!
If you like a spicy dish and have some chili oil lying around cook your tomatoes in 1 table spoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon chili oil. This will kick it up a notch for sure.
Enjoy and get cooking!
xoxo Emily
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