Hidden Veggie Spaghetti With Crispy Kale
If you’re someone who doesn’t love eating veggies on their own, you need to give this hidden veggie spaghetti a try. The tomato sauce includes onion, carrots, and celery but you would never know it! The pasta is made nice and creamy with a bit of coconut milk and includes different textures thanks to some crispy sausage and kale. It’s a little different than your typical pasta recipe and I think you’re going to love it – this one is also from my February 2024 grocery series!
Hidden Veggie Spaghetti With Crispy Kale
4
servings20
minutes45
minutesIf you’re someone who doesn’t love eating veggies on their own, you need to give this hidden veggie spaghetti a try. The tomato sauce includes onion, carrots, and celery but you would never know it! The pasta is made nice and creamy with a bit of coconut milk and includes different textures thanks to some crispy sausage and kale. It’s a little different than your typical pasta recipe and I think you’re going to love it – this one is also from my February 2024 grocery series!
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Ingredients
- For the crispy kale
3 cups packed finely chopped shredded kale (4 ½ ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
- For the spaghetti and sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1/2 pound loose spicy Italian sausage (or sweet Italian or chicken sausage)
2 large carrots, small-diced (about 2 cups)
1/2 large yellow onion, small-diced (about 1 cup)
1 celery stalk, small-diced (about ½ cup)
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup canned full-fat coconut milk (about half of a well-shaken 13.5-ounce can)
14 ounces gluten-free brown rice spaghetti (or rice and corn based pasta or regular pasta)
Directions
- Make the crispy kale: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the kale, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt in a large bowl and toss with tongs or hands until the kale is evenly coated and transfer to the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake until dry and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the spaghetti and sauce: Combine the garlic powder, oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the black pepper, and pepper flakes (if using) in a small bowl and set aside.
- Line a plate with paper towels and set near the stove. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep-lidded skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally to break up any large pieces, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the paper towels and set aside.
- Heat the same skillet, adding a drizzle of olive oil if the pan is too dry, over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the reserved spice mixture and cook, continuing to stir occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced and warm, about 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Cover and set aside.
- Make the spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain in a colander. If using gluten-free pasta, rinse with cold water to prevent sticking (if using regular pasta, skip this step). Return to the pot and set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, transfer the cooked vegetables and blend (with the steam vent in the blender top open) on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. If you are using a blender smaller than 6 cups, you may need to do this in batches.
- Mix half of the sauce with the cooked pasta until fully coated. Add more sauce if desired. Stir in the cooked sausage until evenly combined.
- Spoon the pasta into four bowls and top with the crispy kale.
Notes
- Gluten-free pasta: Rinsing gluten-free pasta in cold water after cooking helps it from sticking. You can skip this step with regular pasta and add a drizzle of oil if you’re not adding the pasta to the sauce immediately.
- Store It: Refrigerate the spaghetti and crispy kale in separate sealed containers for up to 4 days (or wait to cook the spaghetti until serving and store the sauce separately). Freeze the sauce without mixing pasta in a sealed container for up to 3 months. I don’t recommend freezing the crispy kale.
- Reheat It: From the refrigerator, microwave the sauce until warm, 1 to 2 minutes, or return to a pot or skillet over medium heat until simmering, then toss with cooked spaghetti. To recrisp the kale, place it on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake it at 325°F until crispy, about 5 minutes. From the freezer, thaw the sauce in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, then microwave in 30-second increments until warm or return to a pot or skillet over medium heat until simmering and toss with cooked spaghetti.
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Leave a comment with a star rating below if you love it.
This is the best sauce I’ve ever made. Easy (minus accidentally exploding the blender a bit) and restaurant quality. We loved it!
How long is this sauce good for? I had lots of it leftover
This was so good!!
This was soooo good! Used chicken Italian sausage from Whole Foods, and the sauce was amazing! My 13-year old son who can be picky said “best spaghetti ever” after finishing a bowl of the day to leftovers.
I will say it makes way more than 4 servings – or maybe we eat smaller portion sizes, but provided us with at least 6 servings 🙂
This was such a delicious recipe! Definitely going in our rotation of meals.
Really delicious! Will definitely be making this again 🙂
I forgot to add the coconut cream, but the sauce still turned out nicely and I’ll probably continue to leave it out next time I make it.
I also didn’t crush the tomatoes before adding them into the pan – didn’t make much of a difference since it’s going into the blender after. Saved a bit of time and mess!
I don’t know why I get intimidated to make my own sauces but so glad I tried it because this recipe was AMAZING!!!! I used an immersion blender which made it super easy. I’ve been looking forward to leftovers every time I get to eat it. The crispy kale on top is genius!
This was delicious! I added several handfuls of kale to the sauce itself to have a few more veggies, and it worked out well. I also used an immersion blender, and it worked perfect. My kids raved about the sauce.
This was such a great recipe. One of the best I have ever tried. Will definitely make it again and shared it with my daughter too.
This recipe is the greatest!!!! We’ve made it so many times and it hits every time
Delicious! Even got my 6 year old to eat it happily! He’s been fighting everything lately – so it’s nice to have made something at home that he loves. I used chickpea spaghetti and it was great! Lots of sauce leftover for another meal this week!
Super yummy! Thank you Jenn for introducing me to the wonders of coconut milk! I had no clue but this is my second recipe this week and it’s been a wonderful addition.
This was amazing!! We will definitely be making this again. For us it made more than 4 servings but that’s okay we love leftovers!
My 5 and 8 year old LOVED it but the hubs wasn’t a fan of the coconut flavor.i don’t mind it though! Next time will try without
My picky teenager liked this so much that I’ve made it twice in one week! I love the coconut milk twist to it which is also easier on our tummy.