The Quick and Easy Dinner I Make for Pennies on the Dollar

I'm a private chef and often come home too tired to cook. Spending my day making beautiful plates with sauces and side dishes for my clients is gratifying, but by the time I finish, I am hungry myself and I just want to put my feet up.

My chef skills pay off in the end because I know how to make a meal happen faster than a pizza can be delivered and for pennies on the dollar. This one-pot spaghetti with kale is one of those meals and one that my husband loves, too.

Timesavers Are Key

The one-pot method I employ for cooking the pasta saves time by skipping the wait to bring a big pot of water to a boil. Instead, I add only the water necessary to hydrate the spaghetti, and in the course of cooking, it will also cook the kale and carrots. A can of diced tomatoes and their juices combine with the surface starch of the pasta and some flavorful olive oil to create a sauce right in the pot at the same time.

As for the vegetable prep, I’ve washed, stripped, and chopped many, many bunches of kale over the years, and I have to say, sometimes the big bag of pre-chopped kale at the grocery store is too appealing to pass up. It works perfectly for this dish, and the cooking time is long enough to ensure that the kale is tender but still green.

While I’m at the store, I also grab a tub of pre-shredded Parmesan, too, because I am not stopping to grate cheese today.

Affordable Ingredients

One aspect of this recipe that I love is how budget-friendly it is. I made a quick dash through ALDI to pick up the ingredients I needed for this recipe and bought a 12-ounce bag of organic kale for $3.19 (you’ll only need about a third of that bag) and a pound of spaghetti for $2.19 (you’ll use half). Diced tomatoes with basil and garlic were $1.05, and 5 ounces of shredded Parmesan was $2.75 (you’ll use about half of that container).

Some olive oil, a carrot, and a few cloves of garlic add a few cents, so for around $6 total I’ve got a big pot of pasta and veggies ready to go.

How To Make My One-Pot Spaghetti with Kale

To serve two as a main dish or four as a side, you’ll need:

• 8 ounces spaghetti

• 4 packed cups chopped kale (about 4 ounces)

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, plain or with basil and garlic

• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 1/2 cups water

• 3/4 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese

Place the spaghetti in a deep skillet that’s at least 12 inches across or in a Dutch oven. Add the kale, tomatoes and their juice, carrot, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper, then pour the water over it all.

Put a lid on the pan and place it over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, then cook, removing the lid periodically and stirring with tongs to separate and turn the spaghetti, until the pasta is tender and the sauce is thickened, about 11 minutes. Test a strand of spaghetti by biting it; if it’s underdone, cook for another minute. When done, toss with the Parmesan and serve.

Ways To Dress Up This Pasta

For a little variety and extra protein, I sometimes throw in a can of rinsed chickpeas or white beans, or add a sprinkle of toasted almonds or walnuts for crunch. A pinch or two of dried herbs like thyme, basil, or oregano dress up the sauce nicely, and if you have some fresh parsley languishing in the fridge, add a couple of tablespoons on top.

For a little extra zing, sub red pepper flakes for the black pepper. You can also stir in some leftover chicken or sliced, pre-cooked chicken sausage in the last few minutes of cooking.

More Budget-Friendly Recipes

• Roasted Chickpeas and Artichokes with Lemon, Parsley, and Feta

• Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

• A Great Carrot Salad

• 5-Ingredient Pasta Bake
  

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