Have you heard... (cue Kermie) "it's not easy being green"... HOWEVER, in this case, it's not only easy, it's healthy and delicious! Stevie wanted sliders, but that will have to wait until tomorrow, because...
this bag of farmer's market spinach has been waiting for some action all week! So get ready for some action packed seriously green tasty delicious pasta!
You probably already do this... but when I have greens, especially fresh greens from the farm or market. I drop them into a big water bath in the sink. Swirl the greens in the water to release the grit and "farm" from the spinach, and then let it sit in the water allowing the dirt settle. Then, the clean spinach floats, waiting for you to scoop on to a towel to dry.
And here's who will be joining our enormous bag of spinach tonight... one pound of pasta (we like thin spaghetti) cooked according to directions on package, pesto (about 1/4 cup, or as much as you like), 6 cloves of garlic (chopped, about 2-3 tablespoons), cherry tomatoes (about 1 cup or 1 pint, washed), and 1 bundle of asparagus. So let's get started!
It's spring, and Gremlin Mamma is totally diggin' asparagus season! So tonight, I cooked it the way I usually do. Trim the last 2 inches of the tough, chewy stem, then wash and dry.
Cut in half and drop on a baking sheet with some olive oil, salt and fresh ground black pepper. Pop in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, add the cherry tomatoes and about 1 tablespoon of the chopped garlic to the pan with the asparagus. Jiggle the pan so everyone mixes and mingles. Now, pop back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
While all that's going on, add about 4 cups of the bag of spinach to a large saute pan (over medium heat), and let it wilt in a tablespoon of olive oil. Make sure to season the spinach with salt and pepper. This ENORMOUS amount of spinach will wilt down to...
this... hard to believe, and one serious Houdini-style disappearing act, but that's how spinach "rolls". After the spinach wilts (and while the pasta is cooking) turn to low, and add the rest of the chopped garlic and let it get warm and mellow out with that spinach a bit. Mix, toss, and get ready to assemble the rest of the green coalition of flavor!
When the pasta is cooked, get ready to add it to the saucepan with the spinach. Here's where I sneak out a cup of that starchy salty pasta water in case I need it later to add to the sauce in case it looks dry. A little pasta-water saucy-insurance... if you will. We may need it, we may not.
Drain pasta when cooked and add to the cooked spinach. Add the pesto to the pasta and get ready to toss to combine (tongs, please!).
Now, you could stop here, and this would be freakin' pasta-licious! Seriously tasty garlicky pesto pasta. But, it's spring, and we love our spring veggies!
Add the remaining cup of spinach to the pasta and pesto and toss. Now when I match spinach with pasta, I always save a little spinach to add at the end so I can not only taste it, I like to see those big green leaves!. It's like we have a combination of cooked and fresh delicious spinach! Yes, please!!
Now that everyone's combined, let's thank our handy dandy tongs (can you hear my "kitchen-gadget addiction" talking?). Tongs help ease all the flavors together, without killing or breaking all the ingredients. Consider tongs your gentle little pasta helpers!
And let's get this party started! Add your roasted asparagus and tomatoes! Party Time!
Cue pasta-friendly tongs... now toss all your greens and asparagus and tomatoes and pasta together! WOW! If you love your greens like I do, together with some tasty garlic and pasta... you're in for a treat! The BIG FINISH!
Plate up some of that great, green, glorious pasta and finish with some fresh grated parmesean cheese and some pine nuts. As much or as little as you like, but they add a little swagger to the end result! Now, I can't wait!
Pardon me while I stick my fork, my face, and my appetite for greens into this bowl full of farmers market pasta-love!! Gremlin-Mamma...OUT!
Have you heard... (cue Kermie) "it's not easy being green"... HOWEVER, in this case, it's not only easy, it's healthy and delicious! Stevie wanted sliders, but that will have to wait until tomorrow, because...
this bag of farmer's market spinach has been waiting for some action all week! So get ready for some action packed seriously green tasty delicious pasta!
You probably already do this... but when I have greens, especially fresh greens from the farm or market. I drop them into a big water bath in the sink. Swirl the greens in the water to release the grit and "farm" from the spinach, and then let it sit in the water allowing the dirt settle. Then, the clean spinach floats, waiting for you to scoop on to a towel to dry.
And here's who will be joining our enormous bag of spinach tonight... one pound of pasta (we like thin spaghetti) cooked according to directions on package, pesto (about 1/4 cup, or as much as you like), 6 cloves of garlic (chopped, about 2-3 tablespoons), cherry tomatoes (about 1 cup or 1 pint, washed), and 1 bundle of asparagus. So let's get started!
It's spring, and Gremlin Mamma is totally diggin' asparagus season! So tonight, I cooked it the way I usually do. Trim the last 2 inches of the tough, chewy stem, then wash and dry.
Cut in half and drop on a baking sheet with some olive oil, salt and fresh ground black pepper. Pop in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, add the cherry tomatoes and about 1 tablespoon of the chopped garlic to the pan with the asparagus. Jiggle the pan so everyone mixes and mingles. Now, pop back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
While all that's going on, add about 4 cups of the bag of spinach to a large saute pan (over medium heat), and let it wilt in a tablespoon of olive oil. Make sure to season the spinach with salt and pepper. This ENORMOUS amount of spinach will wilt down to...
this... hard to believe, and one serious Houdini-style disappearing act, but that's how spinach "rolls". After the spinach wilts (and while the pasta is cooking) turn to low, and add the rest of the chopped garlic and let it get warm and mellow out with that spinach a bit. Mix, toss, and get ready to assemble the rest of the green coalition of flavor!
When the pasta is cooked, get ready to add it to the saucepan with the spinach. Here's where I sneak out a cup of that starchy salty pasta water in case I need it later to add to the sauce in case it looks dry. A little pasta-water saucy-insurance... if you will. We may need it, we may not.
Drain pasta when cooked and add to the cooked spinach. Add the pesto to the pasta and get ready to toss to combine (tongs, please!).
Now, you could stop here, and this would be freakin' pasta-licious! Seriously tasty garlicky pesto pasta. But, it's spring, and we love our spring veggies!
Add the remaining cup of spinach to the pasta and pesto and toss. Now when I match spinach with pasta, I always save a little spinach to add at the end so I can not only taste it, I like to see those big green leaves!. It's like we have a combination of cooked and fresh delicious spinach! Yes, please!!
Now that everyone's combined, let's thank our handy dandy tongs (can you hear my "kitchen-gadget addiction" talking?). Tongs help ease all the flavors together, without killing or breaking all the ingredients. Consider tongs your gentle little pasta helpers!
And let's get this party started! Add your roasted asparagus and tomatoes! Party Time!
Cue pasta-friendly tongs... now toss all your greens and asparagus and tomatoes and pasta together! WOW! If you love your greens like I do, together with some tasty garlic and pasta... you're in for a treat! The BIG FINISH!
Plate up some of that great, green, glorious pasta and finish with some fresh grated parmesean cheese and some pine nuts. As much or as little as you like, but they add a little swagger to the end result! Now, I can't wait!
Pardon me while I stick my fork, my face, and my appetite for greens into this bowl full of farmers market pasta-love!! Gremlin-Mamma...OUT!
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