Killer Kale

Last week when the boy roasted duck, he couldn't decide if he wanted to serve it with swiss chard or kale, so he bought both. He wound up decided on the chard, which left a large bundle of kale in the fridge.

I knew I wanted to cook some type of pasta dish with the kale, and thought I had pinned something that fit that description previously. While that wasn't the case, I did stumble on this Guy Fieri recipe, which I decided to adapt to my own. The biggest difference was substituting whole tomatoes for sauce and paste, based on the boy's preference. Although, I think I may have liked it better that way as well, since this way there was tomato coating each pieces, instead of pieces mixed throughout.

Kale and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
2 red bell peppers
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallots, diced
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup white wine
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 large bunches kale
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (At least 1 chicken minus the pieces you or your husband steal while cooking.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound rotini (Or other bite-size pasta of your choice. While there's two pounds here, I promise I only used one.)
Parmesan, for serving (not pictured)

Directions
1. Roast the red peppers at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, turning every 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Tent with foil to trap in moisture. Once cool remove skin, stem, and seeds and cut into long strips. (The boy complained that the strips should have been skinnier, so you may want to cut them smaller than pictured.)
3. Saute the garlic and shallots in heated olive oil. Cook until garlic is fragrant and shallots are translucent.
4. Add in the red pepper flakes and wine. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated.
5. Add the red pepper slices, and jars of tomatoes. Mix well and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the kale by removing the stems and tearing into bite-sized pieces. (Again the boy complained that the pieces were too large, so while it isn't the easiest to see, you may want to make your bite smaller than mine.)
7. Fold the kale and chicken into the sauce. Cover, and simmer around 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (The kale will shrink as it cooks, so even if it feels like there's no way it will all fit, don't worry. You'll be surprised at how quickly it seems to disappear.)
8. Meanwhile, cook the pasta per package directions until all dente. Drain pasta and mix with the sauce.
9. Serve with roasted red pepper flakes and freshly graded parmesan.
I was really impress how easy this dish was to make, especially since it was my first time roasting a red pepper and cooking with kale. Two things I now know, not to be afraid of. The boy did think it could have been a little spicier, but I'm not sure I could have handled more heat. But even with all his complaining, he seemed to enjoy it. Definitely a dish I'm wanting to make again, plus can't wait try our kale or making roasted red pepper in a different dish.

What's your favorite meal to make with kale? Or have you ever attempted to roast a red pepper?