Description
Pasta just screams cozy vibes, and we’ve got a simple, comforting pasta dish that is sure to please! Say hello to this tasty Italian Pasta and Kale dish that is brimming with feel good ingredients, herbs, spices, and a lot of pasta love. This soul-warming dish is easy to make, oh-so-delicious, and belly satisfying yum! Chewy pasta coupled with nourishing kale, flavorful sundried tomatoes, toasty pine nuts, and hearty cannellini beans is a wholesome dish your body will love.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. ziti pasta (or pasta of choice) (we used GF brown rice pasta)
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 6 to 7 sundried tomato halves (2 Tablespoons), finely chopped
- ¾ cup vegetable broth *
- ½ cup water (or broth)
- 2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (optional) *
- 1 ½ teaspoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons miso *
- 4 cups chopped kale
- 3 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional) *
- 1 – 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Spices/Herbs Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion flakes
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flake
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt (+/- to taste) *
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Optional Toppings
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Toasted Pine Nuts
Instructions
- Place the sundried tomatoes in a small bowl, cover with boiling water, then allow to set for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove, discard the water, and finely chop. Set aside.
- Place the Spices/Herbs Ingredients (except the crushed red pepper flake) in a small bowl, mix to combine, set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse well with cold water. Set aside.
- In the meantime, in a large ceramic/enamel-lined Dutch oven, skillet or similar stock pot, add the finely diced red onions; sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add a tablespoon or so of water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, then add the Spices/Herbs Ingredients, sauté to release their fragrance, about 30 seconds to one minute. Then add the water, vegetable broth, chopped sundried tomatoes, miso, white balsamic vinegar, tahini, and beans; heat to boiling, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the kale and cook for 2 minutes until it just starts to wilt, then add the cooked pasta, roasted pine nuts, and red pepper flake and stir to incorporate, heat just until the pasta is just warmed up, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately. Sprinkle with Vegan Parmesan cheese and additional roasted pine nuts.
Notes
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients. If using a brand other than Pacific that has a mild/mellow flavor, you may wish to use 1 cup broth and ¼ cup water.
*Toasted Pine Nuts: Place the pine nuts in a nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat, gently push them around the dry skillet, moving them constantly until they turn golden brown, then immediately remove the skillet from the heat, and remove the toasted pine nuts from the skillet. Be careful, they burn easily.
*White Balsamic Vinegar: The white balsamic vinegar gives the dish a little tang. Our family was totally divided on this. Some loved it in the dish while others weren’t huge fans of the tang. If you are curious, try a small amount first before jumping in with the full amount.
*Miso: We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free. Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil. You can also substitute with chickpea miso for a soy free version.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Makes: 4-5 Servings.
*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 5 days.
*Nutritional Information: Does not include the optional ingredients of white balsamic vinegar or pine nuts, or optional add-in ideas.