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!
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.
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
Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta with Kale
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)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese (set aside a few extra spoonfuls to dollop on top)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1/3 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.
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.
Could you use something else in place of ricotta?
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
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!
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
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.
Yes, many of our readers have used spinach in this dish. – Nicole
With fresh tomatoes not in season now, could canned diced tomatoes work? Thanks!
Hi Sheri, I don’t see why not. – Nicole
Amazing!! Will certainly be making this again ☺️ I don’t normally love kale, but I ate every bite and went for seconds.
So glad to hear you gave it a shot! – Nicole
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!
Have you tried this with something besides kale? My family doesn’t enjoy kale, even though I love it!!
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