Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan)

finished lacinato kale recipe braised with cherry tomatoes and garlic

5 from 14 votes

Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan)

A bright and delicious kale recipe perfect as a side dish to pair with any chicken, steak, or fish. This Kale is combined with cherry tomatoes, garlic, and lemon for a simple and delicious dish.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Vincent DelGiudice

Cost: $10

Equipment

dutch oven or pot

Ingredients

1 head lacinato kale
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lemon
3 cloves garlic
½ cup water
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the kale by washing and then cutting the kale in half. In a dutch oven on medium heat, add olive oil and wait until shimmering. Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 1 and a half minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and juice from the whole lemon. Stir occasionally until the cherry tomatoes begin to break down slightly about 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
Once the cherry tomatoes have begun to break down, add in the kale and ¼ cup of water. Save a ¼ cup for later. Cover the pot and let the kale braise for 15 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point. If when you open the pot at the halfway point, there is no liquid, add the rest of the water.
Open the dutch oven and add the pat of butter. Stir until it is completely melted throughout the sauce. Remove the kale from the dutch oven and serve.

Video

Notes

Let the tomatoes start to break down before you start crushing them with the back of the spoon. It will make the process a lot easier. Once the skin of the tomato starts getting loose, you can start smashing them.
Adding the butter at the end of the recipe is the key to a deeper flavor! This will add some shine and richness to the sauce. This process is called Monter au Beurre, which is a French phrase for emulsifying water and cold butter. You can see above exactly how the butter affected the sauce.

Nutrition