About the Recipe
Ingredients
12 oz. orecchiette
1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups chopped kale
1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved and divided
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil and/or marjoram
Preparation
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook orecchiette according to package directions. Reserve 1½ cups cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, combine roasted red peppers, tomato paste, garlic, crushed red pepper and salt in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pepper mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and darkened in color, about 3 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium. Add kale, half the cherry tomatoes and ½ cup of the pasta-cooking water. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding more pasta water ½ cup at a time if the pan seems dry, until the kale has softened and the tomatoes have broken down, about 6 minutes. Add the remaining tomatoes and cook, stirring, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Fold the cooked pasta into the sauce to coat, adding any remaining pasta-cooking water if desired. Dollop ricotta over the top and garnish with fresh herbs.