We often think of Alfredo or Marinara sauce as base for pasta, but I decided to experiment with it by adding spinach and garlic to a basic white cheese sauce. As I recollect this, I realized that this is my first time flirting with creativity while cooking. The need stemmed from trying to figure out how to variate the everyday pasta in my daughter’s lunch box. Like every mother, I was focused on getting enough spinach in my “popeye”. So, I decided to implement this idea about six years back, and this combination was extremely successful with the kids. I had my daughter’s friends asking for several helpings of this, when this was a part of her lunch. In fond appreciation of one of my daughter’s friends, I shall rename this pasta as “Ankita’s Pasta”! Thanks for liking this and encouraging me to be innovative while cooking, Ankita.
The spinach, cheese and garlic simmering on the gas stove is highly tempting, and the combination of green and white is an attractive and different combination on a pasta dish, that makes everyone give it a try and subsequently relish it.
Since this is often a lunch meal for my daughter, it is for sure a quick and easy dish to make in under half hour in the morning rush.
Recipe: Serving for 2-3 people
Cooking time 15 min.
Preparation time: 5 min.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Rigatoni Pasta
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves or chopped spinach
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 slices of cheese
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 2 pods of garlic crushed(optional)
- Salt to taste
- 6 cups of water for pasta
- 2 cups of water spinach.
Method
- Pressure cook pasta, water, salt and 1 tbsp oil to 4 whistles on medium high flame.
- In a pan put 21/2 cups of milk, cheese, black pepper, 1 tbsp oil to boil.
- Cook spinach in a microwave, along with 2 cups of water for 3 min on high setting.
- Remove excess water from spinach.
- Using hand blender, blend the spinach to fine paste.
- When milk boil overs, add garlic, spinach and salt to taste.
- Add cornstarch to the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and mix thoroughly.
- Add the cornstarch milk, to the boiling milk.
- Simmer on low flame for 10-12 minutes.
- Drain the pasta of excess liquid, once the pressure cooker has cooled down.
- Add the pasta to spinach sauce and mix well and cook for 2-3 min.
- Serve hot.
Tips
Spinach can be boiled separately in water for 7 min. if microwave is not available.
The sauce needs to be slight liquidy, as pasta will soak it up, and when eaten after several hours.
Jain Variation: This spinach sauce tastes equally delicious without garlic too! A garnish of fresh/dried basil leaves gives this spinach sauce a nice fragrance.
Instinct Factor
Cooking Spinach Pasta to the level of your choice. Alternatively the pasta can be boiled in 6 cups of water for about 12 min.
Feel Factor
Healthy spinach pasta sauce for everyday pasta, that is fast to cook and extremely appetizing! Rigatoni and Penne Pasta are my favorite choices of pasta with this spinach cheese sauce.
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