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.
21st BIRTHDAY DINNER at Casa de Weissman!! That dish is soooo YUMMYYY
I also adore this dish, thank you for the reminder!!!!
This is one of my favorite Kate dishes and I’m making it right now!!