Thursday, February 27, 2014

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

Happy Friday folks! It's the middle of my work week and as everyone around me knows, I'm dead tired and want a meal with little to no clean up, that's healthy and nutritious so S and I don't fall off our healthy wagon. Now, pasta is a super easy and relatively healthy option for nights like these, but honestly there's only so many times I can have spaghetti and sauce with garlic bread for dinner. We need something more packed with flavor and more bursting with color (even if it's just a different color than red). Sometimes the easiest solutions are the most fun! Being that I have little to no imagination when it comes to thinking of dinners on the fly, I took to the cabinets and freezer trying to find something to add to our boring pasta routine. What came out of the kitchen took 20 minutes, was super filling, packed with flavors, and pretty darn healthy!

Dinner for two!



This dish was absolutely perfect because it combined all of our favorite things: Tomatoes, Spinach, Pasta, and Cheese. It's really that simple, and I'm sure you already have all the ingredients in your cabinet! The most time consuming part of this recipe is getting your water to boil for the pasta. So get that pot on the stove and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes! Let's get started!

First dice up your garlic and onions as fine or as rough as you'd like, then sautee them in a large skillet with olive oil.

Then add your tomato paste and a little bit of water so you don't burn the paste.

Once everything has simmered for a minute or two, add in your can of diced tomatoes, cream cheese, and spices. I like to use the tomatoes that already have oregano and basil in them (it was a happy accident). Whisk the mixture on medium heat until the cream cheese has melted entirely.



Then add in your parmesan cheese. Again, whisking until it's thoroughly combined. Then add in your spinach. Yours truly and S like a LOT of spinach, so feel free to tone it down when you make this. And with that, you're just moments away from creamy, tomato-y, spinach-y goodness!
Add in your pasta, mix it to coat in the sauce, and voila! Dinner is complete!

Yum and Yummier! This dish is wonderful and so quick and easy to prepare with such simple ingredients, there's no reason not to make this tonight! I hope you guys liked this one and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. See you next week!

Ingredients:

1 T Olive Oil
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried thyme
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 t salt
2 T tomato paste
2 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 bag frozen spinach, thawed
Pasta

1.) Boil pasta until al dente, drain and set aside
2.) Dice onion and mince garlic, then sautee in olive oil until fragrant and transparent.
3.) Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, sal, and pepper. Add tomato paste and 1/2 cup of water, stir until combined.
4.) Turn heat o low, then cut cream cheese into skillet, then pour in grated Parmesan. Whisk until combined.
5.) Add in spinach, then continue heating until heated through. Enjoy!

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