This pasta dish was borne from an anomalous and unexpected craving for creamed spinach I had... so you've got your cream, and your spinach, plus some lemon, garlic, and white wine to round it out. I used sprouted wheat noodles but I think it would be great with fusilli or something that really clings to the spinach.



Utilizing spinach this way makes it so easy to feel incredibly virtuous, because you take a few cups of raw spinach and cook them down, down, down, into delicious submission- and then eat up all the vitamins and minerals without all the heft of, say, a giant spinach salad.

This is one of those easy recipes where you make the sauce while the pasta is cooking, so you can be eating the tasty meal like 12 minutes after you start making it. My favorite way to do it!


Creamy Spinach Pasta
this makes enough for 2 people.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 oz. pasta of your choice
• splash of olive oil
• 3 cups spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3/4 cup white wine
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated parmigiano
• salt and pepper

Method:

• Cook pasta in salted water according to directions.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and spinach and saute until fragrant and wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add wine and about 3/4 of the lemon zest and cook until wine has almost completely evaporated. (fun fact: This technique is called "a sec" from the French meaning "until dry".)
• Lower heat to medium and add cream. Cook until cream and spinach have melded together and cream has reduced a fair amount. Add about 3/4 of the parmigiano and stir in.
• Add drained pasta to pan with spinach sauce, and combine over heat until pasta and sauce are well blended. Check seasoning and adjust if needed.
• Remove to serving plate or bowl and garnish with remaining zest and cheese.