Spinach and Artichoke Pasta
I was paging through all of the recipe posts that I've written here and realized something that struck me as odd--there is a shocking lack of pasta recipes. SHOCKING. The answer to "What's for dinner?" is pasta at least a couple of times per week around these parts. You'd never know that by paging through this site, though.
Weird.
Anyway, I thought I'd make up for it by posting one of the staples in our dinner planning. It's almost embarrassing how easy this is to make. It's so easy that the resident 6-year old can just about make it herself. If only I would let her use the sharp knives, she might just be the queen of making Spinach and Artichoke Heart Pasta.
This is one of those dishes that varies a bit each time I make it because I work with whatever I have on hand. No spinach? No problem. It's fine without it. Extra sun-dried tomatoes sitting around? Throw them in. They make things better. If I have a couple of red peppers that need used quickly before they spoil, I'll go for it. It's all good.
However, he base for this pasta is always the same. I start by sautéing a diced red pepper in a little bit of olive oil.
Then a diced white onion joins the party.
Some garlic, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper kick things up a notch.
And then some chopped spinach and quartered artichoke hearts top things off.
Everything is better when artichoke hearts are involved. It's a true fact.
Once the veggies are done, toss in some cooked pasta. I like cavatappi because it's pretty and spiraly and just generally fantastic.
THAT'S IT. Done. Easy, right?
Of course, I belong to the Church of Cheese, so I serve the pasta with a bit of cheese on top. I like Feta the best with this pasta, but shredded parmesan has never disappointed me.
I know. I KNOW. There's no sauce involved in this pasta. True story: it doesn't need it. The little bit of olive oil at the beginning is plenty to keep the pasta from being dry. The vegetables are the star of this show, so sauce would just get in the way.
Sometimes the simplest dishes really are the best.
Spinach and Artichoke Pasta
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained (you want the ones packaged in brine, NOT oil)
2 cups spinach, chopped
Crumbled feta or shredded parmesan cheese
8-10 oz. cavatappi
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Prepare the cavatappi according to the instructions on the box.
2. Place the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper. Sauté for about 3 minutes, or until the red pepper starts to soften.
3. Add the onion. Keep on sautéing until the onion turns clear.
4. Throw in the garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir it all up.
5. Add the drained artichoke hearts and spinach. Keep heating the veggies over medium heat until the spinach wilts completely, about three minutes.
6. Once the veggies are done, add the drained pasta to your skillet. Stir until the pasta is evenly coated with the oil.
7. Serve with feta or shredded parmesan cheese.
Recipe
Reader Comments (6)
Yum!! Adding this to the menu for this week. I will probably add capers, too, and do the sun dried tomatoes like you suggested :).
When I was pregnant with my second I craved artichoke hearts. That's how I discovered allrecipes.com - because I was desperate - DESPERATE - for recipes with them in. I got creative, too, but mostly I'm a recipe follower. THIS would have been wonderful! I can't wait to try it (although, thankfully, I'm not desperate for them anymore...).
PS I tried hitting the print button again - and I got 14 pages of your blog this time. Is it my browser? Cause it's old. Just lettin' ya know. I managed to print it but not using the button at the bottom of the post.
YUM! Adding this to my my menu planning!
This looks delicious, pasta is a staple in our house. I'll be trying this one soon! I like your plate it is very pretty.
Oh my, this looks fantastic. I'll definitely be making it this week!
Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! Thanks for sharing it.