Kale + Tomato Sauce
There’s a whole lot you can do with a bunch of kale and some tomato sauce. Simply cooking down your hearty greens in a developed tomato sauce is good enough on its own, but what if you threw in some cannellini beans, sausage, maybe some stock, or! topped it all off with some stale bread (stay with me!)… with just a few ingredients, you can quickly transition this recipe from side dish, to soup, to casserole. No matter how you slice it, the kale will stand up, adding wonderful texture that’s both delicious and nutritious.
Base Tomato Sauce
1 onion, chopped
3-4 T olive oil
1-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 t crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 t fennel seeds (optional)
1-2 links of Italian sausage (optional)
24 oz tomato sauce
Parmesan
1 bunch of kale, chopped (don’t toss those stems! Just chop them up a bit smaller so they will cook evenly)
If using sausage: Cook the sausage first over medium high heat. Once the meat has cooked through, remove from the pan and begin carmelizing onions in the residual fat. If not using sausage: Heat a glug (3-4T) of olive oil over medium heat and begin caramelizing the onion. Stir occasionally. Toss in a splash of water if things start to brown too quickly. The goal is for everything to be evenly caramelized -- should take around 10-15 minutes.
After the onion is caramelized, add crushed garlic, red pepper flakes and fennel seeds, and cook for a minute or so. Remember - garlic burns quickly - doesn’t need much time to brown. But, not cooking it before adding your tomato sauce will result in a not-so-pleasant boiled garlic taste.
Season your caramelized onions to taste! You should want to eat it with crackers!
Add the tomato sauce and one jar/can’s worth of water. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the raw tomato taste is gone, about 30 minutes - 1 hour. If your sauce becomes too thick, just add a cup or two of water, and continue simmering.
Once the tomato sauce is tasting well cooked, mix in kale, and cook until on the kale is wilted. Season to taste with salt and parmesan.
OPTION #1: Stir in a can or two of cannellini beans, a bit of lemon zest, fresh herbs if you like, adjust seasoning with salt, parmesan, and olive oil. Top with a fried egg for some bonus protein!
OPTION #2: Stir in a can or two of cannellini beans, a couple handfuls of orzo, a bit of lemon zest, fresh herbs if you like, then add enough stock (vegetable, chicken, or beef) until you reach a soupy consistency. Bring back to a simmer. Adjust seasoning with salt, parmesan, and olive oil.
OPTION #3: RIBOLLITA -- Ribollita is a classic Italian “stone soup” recipe -- using leftover bits to make something brand new and nourishing. Stir in a can or two of cannellini beans, a bit of lemon zest, fresh herbs if you like, then add enough stock (vegetable, chicken, or beef) until you reach a stewy consistency. Bring back to a simmer. Adjust seasoning with salt, parmesan, and olive oil. Pour stew into an ovenproof dutch oven. Top the stew with pieces of torn, day-old/stale/toasted bread (about 2” pieces). Top the bread with a heafy sprinkling of parmesan cheese, then place in the oven at 500F for 10-15 minutes, until the bread looks golden brown and the soup is bubbling all around. Buon appetito!
