Spinach Garlic Spaghetti

The Muppets are everywhere these days, promoting their new movie (and yes, I AM going to see it.) And I’ve heard Kermit say his famous line “It isn’t easy being green,” about a million times. I like to twist that line to apply to my own life: “It isn’t easy eating green.” At least that is the truth for me. And I think that’s why I was so intrigued by this recipe, and so happy that it actually tastes really good. I’m not sure if it really counts as healthy eating, but at least it’s got some leafy greens involved so that’s a step in the right direction.

Spaghetti

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 package baby spinach
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 large garlic cloves, minced
Parmesan cheese

I made enough spaghetti for three servings on the large side, but this recipe is pretty flexible, so just make however much you need. It also called for a full pound of spinach, but I just used one of those small plastic packages (I think about 6 oz) and it was plenty. Again, if you want more spinach, use more.

Get your spaghetti going in boiling water. Then heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add about a handful of the spinach, cooking and stirring, until it starts to wilt down and get smaller. Then add another handful. Keep this going until all the spinach is wilted. Salt and pepper to taste, and then add the cream. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the liquid is gone or mostly gone.

Now it’s blender time! Put the spinach mixture and any liquid into the blender (or food processor) and add the garlic. The original recipe said you can just throw in smashed cloves, but I had a hard time getting those to blend, so I would recommend using your handy garlic press. I also added in some Parmesan cheese at this point. Not a whole lot, just like ¼ cup. Then blend! Get it as smooth as possible to make a sauce.

Set aside some of the pasta water, and then drain the spaghetti. I like to put the pasta back in the skillet over low heat, and then pour the sauce on top. Toss it a few times to cover everything. If the sauce seems really thick (mine didn’t) you can use a little bit of the pasta water to loosen it up a little. Once the spaghetti is mixed, serve and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. It looks really beautiful on a plate, and tastes even better. 


(click here for printable recipe)