Cherry Tomato & Kale Pasta

I love cherry tomatoes and usually keep a pack of red or yellow cherry tomatoes in the fridge. They are so juicy and can be eaten just as is. They are great to add in salads, pastas and even on crostini.

This recipe is from 'Meatless' cookbook by Martha Stewart Living. Cherry tomatoes are cooked till they burst and then stirred with pasta and kale. It is a very simple recipe with few ingredients and can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes, perfect for a busy weeknight.

I followed the original recipe to the T, except that I added some cooked chickpeas to make it a complete dish. Finally pasta is served with a dollop of ricotta cheese, giving the dish a nice creaminess and tastes delicious.

Ingredients: Serves 4

Cherry Tomatoes (either golden or red) - 1 pound
Whole wheat Fettucine or Linguine Pasta - 12oz
Kale - 1 bunch, stems removed and leaved coarsely chopped
Chickpeas - 1cup, cooked (rinsed and drained if using canned chickpeas)
Garlic cloves - 2 sliced
Crushed red pepper flakes - 1tsp (adjust as per taste preference)
Ricotta - ½cup
Salt & Pepper - to taste

Method:

• Heat 2tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan pver medium heat. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 8~10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Add kale during the last minute of cooking. Reserve some pasta water and drain the pasta and kale.
• Return pasta and kale to the pot and stir in the sauteed tomatoes and the cooked chickpeas. Add reserved pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency.
• Divide the pasta into 4 bowls and top each with a dollop of ricotta. Drizzle ricotta with olive oil and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Serve warm!!

Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: June -- Week 1'.