Roasted Garlic Spaghetti with Kale & Ricotta

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This roasted garlic spaghetti is creamy from the ricotta and full of freshness from the lemon zest. It’s so easy to make this healthy and flavourful weeknight pasta.

I am loving all the flavours in this dish 😍

Simple pasta dishes are my life. Especially when they contain all the incredible flavours featured in this beautiful bowl of goodness. 

They include: ricotta, olives, capers, kale and lemon zest with a healthy hit of chilli flakes. It’s the perfect spring time pasta with plenty of bright and zingy flavours!

And add to all that deliciousness one key ingredient which makes this pasta unforgettable and that is roasted garlic. It’s stirred through the ricotta before tossing with the pasta and it gives the most incredible umami flavour, I just cannot get enough.

Why we love this roasted garlic spaghetti:

• This dish is vegetarian with plenty of healthy goodness from the kale, olives and lemon
• It’s got a huge hit of roasted garlic flavour which keeps you going back for more
• It’s so easy to make this spaghetti dish that you can easily make it on a weeknight
• You can easily switch out the ingredients in this dish according to what you have on hand which makes it a great dish to make when you’re trying to use up any veg

Garlic & Chilli Spaghetti Ingredients:

• Garlic: Start off by roasted a whole bulb of garlic to add to the pasta 
• Spaghetti: Or use another cut of pasta if you prefer
• Kale: Gives so much crunch and texture
• Olives: For that saltiness
• Chilli Flakes: Adjust the quantity according to how spicy you like it
• Lemon Zest: This adds so much freshness to the dish
• Ricotta: Tossed through the pasta with the help of a little pasta water
• Capers: For an extra brininess 

Roasted Garlic & Kale Spaghetti Instructions:

1. Roast the garlic: Cut the top off a bulb of garlic. Place the bulb on a piece of foil, drizzle the exposed cloves of garlic with olive oil and wrap the bulb in the foil. Roast for 40 minutes.
2. Cook the spaghetti: According to packet instructions then reserve a mugful of pasta water.
3. Finish the pasta: Heat a little olive oil and fry the kale for a couple of minutes until bright green. Using tongs lift the spaghetti into the pan with the kale. Mix the ricotta with the roasted garlic and stir though the spaghetti, add the olives, capers, chilli flakes and lemon zest.

Equipment you need to make this recipe…

Expert tips for making this roasted garlic pasta:

• Start off by roasting the garlic, it takes about 40 minutes to get the garlic soft enough to mash with the ricotta
• When the garlic is nearly ready put your water on to boil and cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions while the garlic finishes cooking
• Pasta water added to the pasta and ricotta helps to create a sauce so make sure you don’t skip this step
• You can roast the garlic ahead of time to help make this quicker to prep on a weeknight, just store in an airtight container in the fridge until you need it
• If you don’t like spice you can leave out the red pepper flakes
• For an extra cheesy hit serve topped with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese
• This dish tastes great finished with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 
• If you’re missing the meat you could add a roasted chicken breast or some torn prosciutto

Is garlic powder good in spaghetti?

I know it can be tempting to cut corners and use garlic powder instead of the real thing but I highly recommend using fresh garlic for this recipe, it has so much more flavour and doesn’t have that slightly artificial taste. If you don’t have time to roast the garlic then you can fry some crushed garlic but it won’t have the same rich roasty flavour.

Want more? Try these other pasta recipes!

• Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta
• 15 Minute Spicy Salmon Linguine
• Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Meatball Pasta
• 15 Minute Tuna Pasta with Pangrattato
• Scallion Yoghurt Rigatoni
• Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Zingy Dressing
• 15 Minute Mushroom Tagliatelle
• Sausage Pasta with Peppers and Tomato Sauce

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