Spaghetti Vegi Toss

I found this recipe in the September 2006 "All You" magazine that I read while waiting for the car to be serviced at our dealer. They call the recipe "Wilted-Spinach Spaghetti" but to me, spaghetti refers to pasta and tomato sauce. There's no tomato sauce in this one - so I changed the name. Works for me! :) I also changed a few of the ingredients to make it a bit more health friendly - and I have to admit, the taste was quite dandy. Steve gave this meal a 3 on our 1-3 scale. So, I guess it'll be appearing again on our menu sometime in the future!

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked spaghetti
1/4 c. pinenuts (I used at least 1/2 c - I don't normally use them in my cooking and didn't want to waste the remainer of the package)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (I used SmartStart - the butter alternative. It worked GREAT in this recipe!)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped (I get the bottles of prechopped/minced garlic. Saves me time and it's cheap)
1 (6 oz) package of mushrooms, quartered (I used 8oz - the smallest size my grocery store had)
1 1/2 cups canned reduced sodium chicken broth (I used the whole can which is just under 2 cups and it was fine)
2 (5 oz) bags baby spinach (I used a 8 oz bag - again the smallest one at my grocery store. Was dandy!)
3 plum tomatoes, diced
3 oz. provolone, cut into small cubes (we used mozzerella because I had it on hand and it was in a brick. Definitely would have left it to be served on the side. Talk about melted cheese!)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente Drain, set aside.

Toast pine nuts in a large skillet over medium heat, about three minutes. Remove from skillet and let cool. In the same skillet, melt butter. Add onion and garlic; cook for one minute. Add mushrooms; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil. Add spinach, stir until wilted. Add spaghetti and toss. Add tomato and provolone; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Top with pine nuts, if desired.

Note: I tossed the pine nuts in with the tomatoes. Worked for us! Also, leftover grilled chicken (or roasted chicken) would be an awesome addition to this recipe - and a great way to use up left over vegis and meat from a Sunday dinner!

Enjoy!

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