Get Your Greens In

I like to get my greens in whenever I can, whether I roast them, sauté them, eat them raw, etc. I also love pasta (if you haven’t already realized this) so anytime I can combine the two it’s a win-win.

I will never forget the first time I had this dish. I was young and it was the summer time. My extended family and my family rented a house in Ocean City, New Jersey for a week to spend some fun quality time together. One night that week, my Aunt Ann made this dish and I instantly fell in love with it. It’s super quick and easy to make, as I put it together tonight after working an 11-hour day. It’s a great recipe to add to your cooking lineup!

Aunt Ann’s Spinach and Pasta Dish:

Ingredients:

• 1 small box of pine nuts
• 1 whole bag of fresh spinach
• Whole wheat penne pasta (three cups dry)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
• Feta cheese

Directions:

• In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat oil. Sauté garlic (don’t let burn) along with pine nuts for about 5 minutes.
• Add whole bag of spinach (it will wilt down).
• Add the tomatoes. As you are adding, crush the tomatoes in your hands so you don’t end up with whole tomatoes but rather small chunks.
• Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add salt as needed.
• Add the pasta and pasta water to the mixture and allow to simmer and absorb the flavors for about 5-7 minutes.
• Serve with feta cheese over the top and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.