It's cold today here in Michigan. I'm talking zero degree wind chill cold. And, as usual, I'm not prepared with all the ingredients to make a fantastic soup (like this one my friend Megan has on her blog), but this pasta dish is warm and cheesy and filling. Pair it with some nice crusty bread and a spinach salad (you may have leftovers from the recipe) and you've got a great meal in a very short amount of time.
It's amazing to me when just a few ingredients can come together to make something that tastes fantastic. Such is the case with this easy pasta dish. The original recipe calls it Greek pasta, but I think the only reason for that is the feta that is sprinkled over the top at the end. While I could eat feta straight out of the container (cheese might just be my disease- mmmmm), the rest of my family isn't too keen on it, so we used shredded Parmesan and made the dish Italian instead!
We actually sampled this recipe while walking through one of our staple grocery stores. They have started cooking things up in a little 'chef' area (by the fresh breads - they're tricky), and my girls BEG me to try everything they see. Sometimes I know they won't like it, but they want to try it anyway. And, more often than not, they really DO like it. Why didn't all my children inherit this trait?! Anyway... We tried this one afternoon and my oldest daughter kept asking for more. I grabbed a recipe card and we made it a few nights later. With only five ingredients and a quick cook time, this is my kind of weeknight meal!
Ingredients:
2 cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped (10 oz is a normal-sized bag)
8 ounces Penne pasta (or your pasta shape of choice)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or feta, if you like)
Directions:
For the pasta, bring a large sauce pan of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine the two cans of tomatoes and one can of beans in a large skillet (with high sides). Bring this combination to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
At this point, add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente, or about 10-11 minutes (depending on the pasta - check the side panel on the box for directions).
 |
It really is almost as easy as boiling water!
After the tomato/bean combo has been simmering for 10 minutes, add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes, or until wilted. I did not add the whole 10 ounce bag, but you certainly can. For one, I didn't think there would be enough room in the pan. And, secondly, I wanted a fresh spinach salad to go along with my meal!
 |
It's so pretty. It almost looks like Christmas!
Drain pasta and divide into bowls. Serve the tomato/bean/spinach sauce over the pasta, and sprinkle with Parmesan (or feta!).
All of us loved the taste and simplicity of this dish. And, even if you have picky eaters, you can save some of the pasta out and serve that the way your kiddos like (you know, with butter and grated Parm). My hubby could have done without the wilted spinach, but his reason was texture not taste. It adds beautiful color (and vitamins!), so if you can handle the texture, add it in for sure. I was happy with the way this came together so quickly, and it was such a surprisingly yummy change from adding normal marinara to the pasta. I will come back to this meal for those crazy (cold) weeknights when something warm needs to come to the table in a jiffy!
Many thanks to the chefs at Meijer for sharing this with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment