A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta Save Print Prep time 5 mins Cook time 20 mins Total time 25 mins Serves: 4 Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp dried basil pinch red pepper flakes (optional) freshly cracked pepper to taste ½ tsp salt 2 Tbsp tomato paste 2 oz. cream cheese ¼ cup grated Parmesan ½ lb. penne pasta ½ (9 oz.) bag fresh spinach
Instructions Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender (7-10) minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander. While waiting for the pasta to cook, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook both in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-low heat until softened and transparent (about 5 minutes). Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and a ½ cup of water to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved into the sauce. Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add them to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the cream cheese has fully melted in and the sauce is creamy. Add half of the Parmesan to the skillet and whisk until it is melted in. Add the remainder of the parmesan and whisk until melted in again. Add the fresh spinach and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted (3-5 minutes). Add the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
3.2.2089
Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta
Step by Step Photos Onion and garlicStart by bringing a large pot of water to a boil so that the pasta can cook while you prepare the sauce. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook them both in a skillet with the olive oil over medium-low heat until they are soft and transparent.
Diced Tomatoes & HerbsOnce the onions have softened, add the can of diced tomatoes (with the juices), dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper, then stir it all together.
Tomato SauceI wanted it a little “saucier” so I also added 2 Tbsp of tomato paste and about 1/2 cup of water. This is what it looked like *after* adding the tomato paste and water.
Broken Can OpenerI have to pause for a second to tell you a crazy story. This is the second can opener in the past month that has spontaneously stopped working. It works one day and then the next thing I know the gears suddenly don’t match up, it won’t clamp on the can correctly, and when it finally does start to cut, it cuts through the side rather than the top of the can. I broke a sweat opening this can of tomato paste and finally had to use a fork to pry it open just enough to scoop some out. Weird, right? Hopefully the third can opener will be a winner.
Cook PastaAnyway, at some point the water will be boiling, so you can add the pasta and let that cook while you finish the sauce.
Cream CheeseTurn the heat under the skillet down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few chunks and then add it to the skillet with the sauce. Use a whisk to stir it in as it melts…
Chunky SauceIt will look kind of chunky or grainy at first, but just keep stirring…
Smooth SauceEventually it will begin to melt in and get all creamy and delicious. Once the cream cheese is melted in, add about half of the Parmesan and stir it until it is melted in. Add the second half and stir until melted in again.
Fresh SpinachAdd the fresh spinach…
Wilted SpinachAnd gently stir it in until it has wilted. This can get kinda messy, so stir gently so that the spinach doesn’t fly out of the skillet.
Add PastaFinally, add the cooked and DRAINED pasta. You can use any shape, but I like a tubular pasta the best because the sauce gets all up inside those holes and makes it SO good. My next choice would have been bow-tie pasta.
-- Edited by Tinydancer on Thursday 5th of March 2015 03:22:54 PM
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“Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything.” ― Julia Child ―
Cook, rinse, and chill the linguini (adding 1 tbsp. canola or evoo). Halve the grape tomatoes, toss with washed spinach, then toss with linguini. Add whatever grated hard cheese you have on hand, and toss gently.
HINT: to halve a large quantity of grape/cherry tomatoes, lay them in a large container lid. Take a matching lid, and invert it on top of the tomatoes. Holding the top lid in place with your hand, take a sharp knife between the two lids, and slice, letting the edges of the lids guide your knife.
Cook, rinse, and chill the linguini (adding 1 tbsp. canola or evoo). Halve the grape tomatoes, toss with washed spinach, then toss with linguini. Add whatever grated hard cheese you have on hand, and toss gently.
HINT: to halve a large quantity of grape/cherry tomatoes, lay them in a large container lid. Take a matching lid, and invert it on top of the tomatoes. Holding the top lid in place with your hand, take a sharp knife between the two lids, and slice, letting the edges of the lids guide your knife.
Cook linguine according to package. Stir fry tomatoes with garlic, salt & pepper, a touch of olive oil or italian salad dressing, throw in spinach until just wilted, serve on top pasta, add grated parmesan cheese.
Cook, rinse, and chill the linguini (adding 1 tbsp. canola or evoo). Halve the grape tomatoes, toss with washed spinach, then toss with linguini. Add whatever grated hard cheese you have on hand, and toss gently.
HINT: to halve a large quantity of grape/cherry tomatoes, lay them in a large container lid. Take a matching lid, and invert it on top of the tomatoes. Holding the top lid in place with your hand, take a sharp knife between the two lids, and slice, letting the edges of the lids guide your knife.
Matching lid. LOL
I am luck if I have a matching bowl.
I will have to try matching plates.
I use 2 plastic coffee can lids of the same size (any shallow plastic lids will hold the tomatoes in place while keeping the knife away from your hands)
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“Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything.” ― Julia Child ―
Cook linguine according to package. Stir fry tomatoes with garlic, salt & pepper, a touch of olive oil or italian salad dressing, throw in spinach until just wilted, serve on top pasta, add grated parmesan cheese.
this is the easiest and what I would do. Except I would add a couple of cloves of garlic sliced and mashed to the olive oil on low heat with a little bit of diced white onion and saute for a few minutes before putting in the tomatoes and spinach. Perhaps even squeeze a table spoon out of a fresh lemon and also some grated lemon rind.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Cooked the pasta and made sure to really season the water.
Sat it aside. I did not drain it.
In a large skillet I sauteed finely sliced onions in a good bit of butter with about a teaspoon of bacon pieces, in salt pepper and garlic powder.
Then added my halved tomatoes and seasoned it again.
When the tomatoes were about done I added the fresh baby spinach. I salted and peppered it again. Sauteed that till it wilted slightly.
then it added my pasta one tong full at a time till I thought it was enough. Tossed it together with a liberal amount on parm. Till warmed through and the cheese made the "sauce" for it.
The little sausages were cooked separate and I just put them on top if wanted.
It is so good. I made it in the time this thread was started. Boiling the noodles took the longest.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
The problem now is everyone will be hungry again around 8 tonight.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
