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Home » Recipes

Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta with Kale

Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta with Kale topped with ricotta cheese in a baking dish that just came out of the oven.

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I'm all about one-dish dinners right now. And if they don't include meat? That's a big bonus as my daughter is still not eating meat after giving it up over the summer. This Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta with Kale recipe is the type of dish that you could easily serve with some grilled sausages or steaks on the side if you want, but it's also super hearty and stands on its own just fine!

Table of Contents
  1. How to Roast Garlic
  2. Can You Sub Kale for Spinach?
  3. Would Canned Tomatoes Work?
  4. Other Pasta Dishes You Might Enjoy
  5. Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta with Kale

How to Roast Garlic

The star of this dish is the roasted garlic. I honestly forgot about roasted garlic for a while (do you ever do that?). I just hadn't made it in forever and forgot how good and easy it is to make. All you have to do is cut off the top of the garlic bulb (exposing the individual cloves of garlic), wrap it in foil, and stick it in a 400 degree F oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The outcome will be nothing like what you started with ... forget the pungent bite of raw garlic and get ready for a smooth spread that has a sweeter, caramelized flavor. It's so good I could eat it plain with a spoon, haha.

Roasted garlic is great spread on toasts or mixed into pasta or other savory dishes. Prepare to kick things up a notch and reinvent boring old dishes with roasted garlic! It's such an easy way to change things in a big way.

Can You Sub Kale for Spinach?

Yes! With most recipes that call for one or the other, this one will work great with spinach, too.

Featured Comment

It was a HUGE hit with all three of my kids! Thank you for this recAmazing!! Will certainly be making this again ☺️ I don’t normally love kale, but I ate every bite and went for seconds.
- Chelise.

Would Canned Tomatoes Work?

If you're making this Garlic and Tomato Pasta when tomatoes aren't in season, try giving it a go with diced canned tomatoes.

Other Pasta Dishes You Might Enjoy

  • Curly Pasta & Zucchini Bake
  • From Scratch Hamburger Helper
  • Roasted {Summer} Vegetable Pasta
  • Kale and Tomato Alfredo Pasta
Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta with Kale on 100 Days of Real Food

Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta with Kale

The roasted garlic in this Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta with Kale recipe is the real winner, as it will help kick it up a notch! This dish is great on it's own or with a side of steak or grilled sausage.
2 Reviews / 5 Average
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 32 minutes mins
Roasted Garlic: 50 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Diet: Egg Free, Peanut/Tree Nut-Free, Vegetarian
Print Recipe
Servings: 6
Save Recipe Saved!

Ingredients
  

  • 2 heads garlic
  • 8 ounces whole-wheat pasta (boiled according to package directions (saving pasta water for the sauce recipe below))
  • 4 large tomatoes (cored and diced)
  • 2 medium shallots (peeled, cut in half, and thinly sliced)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 8 ounces ricotta cheese (set aside a few extra spoonfuls to dollop on top)
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
  • ⅓ cup pasta water ((reserved))
  • 1 head kale (large ribs discarded and leaves thinly sliced (about 5 cups))
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves (sliced (optional garnish))

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel off the papery outer layers of the heads of garlic, turn sideways, and cut a thin slice off the top of each to slightly expose the tips of the garlic cloves. Wrap in foil and roast in a loaf pan (or similar) until soft and caramelized (but not blackened), about 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Turn the oven up to 450 degrees F. Combine the diced tomatoes, sliced shallots, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and red pepper to a rectangular (9 X 13") baking dish. Bake until the veggies are soft and the juices are released, about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, use your hand to gently squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulb into a small mixing bowl.
  • In the same bowl, add the parmesan, reserved pasta water, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and most of the ricotta. Use the back of a fork to mash it all together until smooth.
  • Add the garlic mixture and pasta to the the baking dish and then toss to combine with the tomatoes and shallots. Mix in the kale until well combined. Spoon the remaining ricotta in dollops on top, along with a little more salt and red pepper, and bake for 10 minutes more, until heated all the way through.
  • Turn up to broil for 1 to 2 minutes to brown the top, garnish with fresh sliced basil leaves (if desired), and serve.

Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Can be gluten-free if using GF pasta.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta with Kale
Amount Per Serving
Calories 242 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 27mg9%
Sodium 469mg20%
Potassium 526mg15%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 3433IU69%
Vitamin C 46mg56%
Calcium 241mg24%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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806 shares

About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Jessica says

    January 11, 2023 at 11:32 am

    5 stars
    This is a great dish. I was wary about so much ricotta, and it being too cheesy. I don't like super cheesy lasagna. But this recipe works. I put a little more pasta water in it to thin out the sauce. I also added mushrooms to the tomato and shallots. I used spinach. Everyone loved it.

    Reply
  2. Alicia says

    June 24, 2022 at 12:18 pm

    Could you use something else in place of ricotta?

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      June 28, 2022 at 4:23 pm

      Another cheese might change will change the flavor. If you try out a different one, feel free to let us know how it turns out. - Nicole

      Reply
  3. Katie says

    June 24, 2022 at 11:11 am

    Have you or any of your readers tried it with gluten free noodles? I'm hoping it would turn out the same. Looks so good!

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      June 28, 2022 at 4:22 pm

      While we haven't personally tried it with GF noodles, I don't see why it wouldn't still turn out great. If you give it a try, please let us know! - Nicole

      Reply
  4. Jodie Paterson says

    February 17, 2021 at 7:36 am

    This looks amazing! Could spinach work as a good substitute here? I'm not a huge fan of kale. The rest of the recipe seems perfect for me.

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      February 17, 2021 at 9:30 am

      Yes, many of our readers have used spinach in this dish. - Nicole

      Reply
  5. Sheri says

    January 25, 2021 at 3:18 am

    With fresh tomatoes not in season now, could canned diced tomatoes work? Thanks!

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      January 25, 2021 at 10:26 am

      Hi Sheri, I don't see why not. - Nicole

      Reply
  6. Chelsie says

    December 29, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing!! Will certainly be making this again ☺️ I don't normally love kale, but I ate every bite and went for seconds.

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      December 30, 2020 at 10:01 am

      So glad to hear you gave it a shot! - Nicole

      Reply
  7. Izzy says

    December 05, 2020 at 12:16 pm

    We made this in our RV in Italy using local ingredients and swapped kale for spinach. Perfect for van life, we love on pot dishes like this!

    Reply
  8. janie Williams says

    December 01, 2020 at 4:49 pm

    Have you tried this with something besides kale? My family doesn’t enjoy kale, even though I love it!!

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      December 02, 2020 at 9:21 am

      I usually sub spinach for kale in most recipes. If it's the taste you're worried about, the roasted garlic really stands out in this one. - Nicole

      Reply

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Meet Lisa! Lisa is a best-selling cookbook author, wife, mother, and passionate home cook. Lisa began blogging in 2010 and has created a community of millions of people who share her love of healthy living, real food ingredients, and family recipes.

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