Hearty Kale and Marinara Pasta

Let’s talk about healthy homemade marinara! If you’ve followed the blog long enough; you know I am a self-professed pasta aficionado, so it should be no surprise that I’m serving pasta on my holiday table this year! I find pasta cozy, easy to prepare and extremely satisfying. Not to mention, it’s stress-free and delicious, so it’s the easiest way to ‘wow’ a crowd at home this holiday season.

In your day-to-day life, pasta can be a pretty practical vehicle to pack some extra vegetables into your daily diet. It also presents an opportunity to meal prep or batch cook, because it reheats easily and can also be flash frozen to warm up later during the week, when in a pinch and looking for a hearty, quick dinner. But what I’m focusing on today, is dressing up pasta for special occasions, like a holiday meal!

I’m going to share an easy to whip up, yet special, traditional homemade marinara recipe that will become a holiday table-staple! Marinara has my heart. It tastes like home, is better homemade and I simply can’t have enough of it. I make mine thick, slightly sweet, packed with plump tomatoes; but above all: it’s delicious, healthy and well-worth not buying canned/jarred pasta sauce, like ever again. Tossing the marinara sauce with Italpasta’s gluten-free pasta is the perfect pairing. Trust me, your guests will thank you!

With Italpasta’s gluten-free line, it’s fully possible to eat healthy and continue to enjoy pasta albeit with a few, minor tweaks! I enjoy gluten-free or ancient grain pasta varieties and always load them up with creamy plant-based sauces, along with all the vegetables I can find in my fridge. Italpasta is extremely versatile and easy to ‘dress-up’ and that’s exactly what I’m doing with my holiday marinara dish!

I’ve been an Italpasta lover for a few months now; having first tried it earlier this year. I love the great quality and taste of this gluten-free pasta variety, not to mention it always feels great supporting Canadian brands. To be honest, it’s so delicious that it’s hard to tell the difference between gluten-free and traditional semolina pasta. That’s how good it is! What I love about this pasta is that it’s made out of a blend of some of my favourite grains like; buckwheat, quinoa, rice and corn. I find the taste compliments my recipes perfectly, and the texture is always on-point. It doesn’t stick together, clump into a ball or harden after cooking. All common woes for those in the search for a great gluten-free brand. Best of all, Italpasta is 100% Canadian owned, meaning all of the pasta is made right here in Canada.

This holiday season; a pasta side dish can give you lots of mileage and it’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Especially, for your vegan and gluten-free guests! You can make the sauce ahead of time and just boil fresh pasta the day of your party or event; for best results and ultimate freshness. You can be the hostess with the mostest; while actually ensuring to plan ahead to reduce work the day your guests arrive.

So…. don’t be afraid to serve a big bowl of this traditional marinara pasta next to your stuffing or mashed potatoes on your holiday table this year; I promise you there won’t be any left. The key to any good party or dinner is to have something for everyone; and this traditional recipe is well-loved and appeals to everyone who’s tried it.

Servings: 4
Time: 30 mins
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Ingredients| Best Ever Homemade Marinara Sauce

1 bag of Italpasta gluten-free fusilli or penne
¼ cup of (good quality) extra virgin olive oil
1 white or yellow onion finely diced into squares
1-2 small shallots finely diced (optional)
2 small cans of whole tomatoes or 1 large one * I always throw in a handful of sliced fresh tomatoes, too!
2 tablespoons of organic tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon agave syrup or raw brown sugar
A handful of fresh chopped oregano, basil or thyme
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Follow the cooking instructions on the pasta bag. I always “season” the water I boil my pasta in with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. The extra virgin olive oil prevents the pasta from sticking, too. After draining the pasta and transferring to a bowl, I drizzle some EVOO again to enhance moisture and texture.
In a medium pot, warm up the olive oil and add the shallots, onion and garlic, stirring often. Tip: garlic can burn easily. You could also add it at the end, when the shallots and onions are starting to turn translucent and soften.
In a medium bowl, pour the canned, whole tomatoes and used a potato masher or wooden spoon to break them up and extract all those good juices. Add them to the medium pot you have on the stove along with any fresh tomatoes. Add the agave, sea salt, pepper, and oregano. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and let it sit on the stove for about an hour, stirring often.
If you’re not dairy-free, you could add some fresh, grated parmesan cheese for flavor. Pour over the cooked pasta of your choice, feel free to add fresh oregano or thyme on top to make it look pretty and festive.
I sautéed some fresh kale on the side with extra virgin olive oil and garlic and added it to the pasta for some greens.
You can always make the marinara way in advance and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or flash freeze and use whenever you need it. Enjoy!

By: Aleyda | The Dish On Healthy

This recipe was brought to you in partnership with my friends at Italpasta. I love working with brands that are aligned with my wellness and real food mandate and I appreciate your support and theirs. x