Pasta Verde
The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen’s Classic Cooking)
A tried and true recipe I’ve made for years, this has all of the ingredients for a complete meal for nights you do not want to fuss. If you have good tomatoes they are nice chopped and added as a garnish, as are nuts, leftover bruchetta topping, or tapenade. If you do want to make another dish for variety, a crunchy salad is a good contrast.
2 Tablespoos olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups coarsely chopped raw spinach
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh basil (1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 1 1/2 pounds pasta
freshly grated Parmesan
Saute the onions and garlic in the oil until the onions are translucent. Rinse the washed, chopped spinach in a colander and then add it, still damp, to the onions. Cover the pan. When the spinach is wilted and still very bright green, puree the sauteed vegetables with the other sauce ingredients at medium speed in a blender or food processor. If you need to keep the sauce warm until the pasta is ready or if you reheat it later, use a double boiler to prevent curdling.
Cook and drain the pasta.
Toss the sauce with the hot, drained pasta in a warm bowl. Serve immediately, garnished with grated Parmesean cheese and chopped tomatoes or almonds, if desired.
Shopping List
1 medium onion
garlic
spinach
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh basil (1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup parsley
1 nutmeg seed
1 to 1 1/2 pounds pasta
freshly grated parmesan
Date: December 15, 2009
