A few days ago, while looking at my latest blog posts, I realized that it had been ages since I last shared the preparation of a nice first course! Yet, I’ve always considered myself a pasta enthusiast, but I don’t like being trivial in my proposals, because I experiment a lot, but I only share what I really consider worth your attention! The spaghetti I recommend today, for example, can boast this peculiarity; in fact, I would dare say they are so exquisite that I would propose them as a gourmet dish. The concept I want to express is that even through garden vegetables, we can truly have a tasting experience. Let’s debunk the myth that vegetable-based dishes are sad and depressing, and let’s open our minds to savor differently what Mother Nature gives us seasonally! It’s about adding just one special but common ingredient to all preparations: creativity! This first course is a perfect blend of flavors that from winter, with the Tuscan kale, opens to spring with the first fresh cherry tomatoes. To these, I have also added some semi-dried cherry tomatoes, which I must say give the dish an extra kick! And for nutritional completeness, I chose to pair legumes like chickpeas, which pair well with these and many other ingredients thanks to their versatility! A truly tasty first course, perfect for any occasion where you wish, with just a few simple steps, to bring something unusual and at the same time surprising in taste to the table!
Other first courses that may interest you:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support my work, and it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 10 oz whole wheat spaghetti
- 14 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1.8 oz cherry tomatoes (semi-dried in oil, I use Fior Fiore Coop brand)
- 7.8 oz chickpeas (pre-cooked)
- 6 leaves Tuscan kale
- 4 anchovies in oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste chili powder
Steps
Clean the Tuscan kale leaves, detaching them from the stalk, then remove the central rib by hand or, if the leaves are very tough, you can use a small knife (fig. 1).
Rinse them under running water and cut them into strips that are not too thin. Also cut the cherry tomatoes in half (fig. 2).
In a non-stick pan, brown the garlic with two tablespoons of oil. Also add the anchovies well drained from their oil and let them flavor for 2 minutes over low heat (fig. 3).
Add the cherry tomatoes, close the lid and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Then also add the previously drained sun-dried tomatoes (fig. 4).
Meanwhile, blanch the Tuscan kale leaves in a saucepan with plenty of salted water for 5 minutes (fig. 4).
Once blanched, remove them with a slotted spoon (fig. 6).
Add the blanched kale to the cherry tomato sauce and two ladles of cooking broth (fig. 7).
Also add the tomato paste, let it dissolve in the broth and cook for another 5 minutes (fig. 8).
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the Tuscan kale cooking broth. A couple of minutes before the end of cooking, also add the drained pre-cooked chickpeas and let them flavor. (fig. 9).
Remove the garlic, adjust the salt, and pepper to taste. Drain the spaghetti al dente, add them to the sauce, and let them flavor, drizzling with another ladle of pasta cooking liquid only if needed (fig. 10).
Turn off and serve with a drizzle of raw oil.
And voilà… your whole wheat spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, and Tuscan kale are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from FeFè’s Kitchen!
Tips
🟣 For a vegan version, try replacing the anchovies in oil with dried porcini mushrooms or miso paste, a creamy condiment derived from yellow soybean seeds, of Japanese origin. Often used in place of stock cubes to prepare broths and soups, miso has a bold and distinctive flavor, making it a much-appreciated food by those who love oriental flavors and want to experiment with new ingredients.
🟣 For a vegan version, try replacing the anchovies in oil with dried porcini mushrooms or miso paste, a creamy condiment derived from yellow soybean seeds, of Japanese origin. Often used in place of stock cubes to prepare broths and soups, miso has a bold and distinctive flavor, making it a much-appreciated food by those who love oriental flavors and want to experiment with new ingredients.
