Rotini can be substituted with fusili, macaroni, shells, bows or any other short pasta shape. You can use long pasta like spaghetti and linguini but I’d recommend breaking it half before adding to the recipe so it cooks more evenly . Note that cooking time will vary based on the pasta used and you may need to adjust the amount of liquid. Cook until al dente before adding the kale. Be sure not to overcook the pasta, especially if you’ll be storing leftovers.
To store, let cool then store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat as needed stovetop or in the microwave until heated to your preference.
For a low-sodium recipe, omit or reduce salt and use low-sodium or no salt added vegetable broth (or use water) and no salt added crushed tomatoes.
To make gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta of choice such as quinoa pasta, brown rice pasta or chickpea pasta and adjust cooking time as needed until pasta is cooked al dente.
Vegetables: Kale can be omitted or substituted with spinach. Mushrooms can be omitted if you don’t like them or have an allergy. Any colour of bell pepper works. Vegetable amounts don’t need to be exact, use as guidelines to adjust to your liking. Diced carrots can be added or substituted for zucchini, bell pepper or 1 cup of the mushrooms.
This recipe makes quite a large amount – about 6 hearty servings. Consider cutting it in half if you don’t need that much or can’t eat it within 4-5 days.