This recipe comes from the Moosewood "Simple Suppers" cookbook (they suggest using escarole or curly endive, but I couldn't find either of those when I ran to the store, so I used fresh spinach instead). I made it for dinner last night, and we just had the leftovers for dinner tonight. It's so easy to make (we're talking less than 20 minutes start to finish) and it is really really good (and low fat too). The recipe serves four, so I only cooked 1/2 of the pasta the first night, made all of the sauce on the first night but only used half, and then cooked the rest of the pasta the second night and heated up the sauce, and it was just as good.
Whole grain pasta with spinach and tomatoes
- 12 oz of whole wheat pasta (I used Trader Joe's whole wheat penne, which is the only whole wheat pasta I've ever used that didn't taste like cardboard. If you can't find one you like, of course you could just use regular pasta instead)
- 12 oz of fresh baby spinach leaves (or you could use other greens, such as curly endive or escarole instead, if you prefer)
- 5 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 - 28oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for cooking the pasta. Meanwhile, rinse the fresh spinach leaves and set aside to drain.
When the water boils, add the pasta and cook until al dente. While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet or saucepan on medium-high heat, cook the garlic in the oil until it sizzles. Add the spinach, sprinkle with salt, and cook until wilted, stirring often. Stir in the tomatoes (with their juices), oregano, and rosemary. Cover and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is done.
When the pasta is done, drain it ans serve topped with the sauce and some grated cheese. Note that the sauce won't get thick -- it's more of a light, chunky type sauce.
