Kale & Roasted Tomato Pasta With Lemon
If I ever had an “everything but the kitchen sink” pasta, this would be it. I literally came up with it after a weekend of not grocery shopping, and trying to use the almost-too-old produce in my fridge. Now all that said, this one is a winner. It’s simple, and packed with flavor.
Pasta and wine? On a Tuesday? Yes please.
In the past I would have shied away from these two things thinking that they were “too indulgent” for during the week. I’ve learned now that there is actually nothing wrong with pasta from a nutritional standpoint, and is a great source of energy-rich carbohydrates that your body needs and craves. I love packing my pasta full of veggies too because I always come away from the meal feeling fuller and more satisfied.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
1/2 yellow onion
1 shallot
3 cloves garlic
2 bushels organic lacinato kale
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 box Banza pasta
EVOO for season & salt + pep to taste
Preheat oven to 350.
Start by washing the kale thoroughly. Chop and set aside. Heat a sauté pan over medium with a few drizzles of EVOO (or oil of choice). Chop onion and shallot, add to the pan and sauté until translucent. Next, chop the garlic and add to the mixture. Working in batches, toss in handfuls of kale – stirring each time and letting each batch cook down. Continue until all the kale is added. Drizzle with lemon juice and cover with reduced heat.
Next, wash and chop the cherry tomatoes in halves. On a lined baking sheet, toss the tomatoes with EVOO, salt and pep. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are nice and browned.
Cook the pasta, saving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. (I do this every single time I make pasta – it helps bind the sauce together in a super flavorful way).
Add the cooked pasta to the kale mixture along with the salvaged pasta water. Add salt, pepper and lemon zest. Toss in the tomatoes and mix everything together! Kale should be hugging each noodle - so that each bite is flavor-packed.
Serve with a little extra lemon zest and your favorite parm and/or parm alternative.
Shallots are the underdog here. They bring in a fresh, rich, and almost decadent layer to this weeknight recipe. Garnish with lemon zest to make the flavors come alive even more.
