Herbed Spinach Pasta Recipes

HOMEMADE HERBED PASTA WITH FETA, LEMON AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• For the pasta: Sift the flours into a pile on a clean work surface. Create a 6-inch well in the middle. Add the parsley, olive oil, eggs and yolks, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper to the well. Whisk gently with a fork. When the center is combined, begin to incorporate the flours into the eggs a little at a time. Once you can no longer use your fork, use your hands to knead the dough. When the dough is shaggy, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 2. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Roll out the dough, using semolina flour as needed. The pasta should be about 2 centimeters thick. Fold the pasta in half lengthwise, then in half again. Slice into 3/4-inch wide ribbons, or desired width. Shake out the noodles and hold in nests.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it ferociously. Cook the pasta to al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups pasta water.
• For the feta, lemon and pine nut sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when flicked across the surface. Add the pine nuts and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the preserved lemon and 1 cup mint and cook, stirring, for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Allow it to cook down and reduce for another minute. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, reduce the heat to low and toss the pasta to coat it evenly in the mixture. Add more pasta water if it needs a bit more sauce. Add about 20 turns of black pepper and top with the feta, a few pinches of crushed red pepper and the remaining 1 cup mint. Serve immediately and enjoy.

HERBED SPINACH PASTA

Steps:

• 1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
• 2. Cook onion, garlic, and basil in oil in skillet until onion is tender. Add pepper strips; cook 3 minutes. Stir in spinach; heat through.
• 3. Toss with pasta and top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

HERBED ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook garlic in oil and butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. , Drain pasta; add to skillet. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI WITH SPINACH, PEAS, AND HERBED RICOTTA

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest and juice, and basil; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add spinach; season generously and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water 2 minutes less than per package instructions. Add peas; cook 1 minute more. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain. Add pasta, peas, and 3/4 cup ricotta mixture to skillet.
• Reduce heat to low and stir, adding enough reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce; season to taste. To serve, dollop pasta with remaining ricotta mixture, drizzle with more oil, and sprinkle with basil leaves.

ZA'ATAR GARLIC SPINACH PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season well with kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook according to al dante according to package instructions (about 8 to 9 minutes). You will need 1 cup or so of the cooking water later.
• When the pasta is nearly done, work on the olive oil sauce and the spinach. In a large pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook briefly until the garlic is fragrant (you want some color but do not burn the garlic). Add a little bit of the pasta cooking water (start with ½ cup and add more as needed), and lemon juice, then add the spinach in batches, seasoning with Kosher salt as you go. Toss the spinach and cook until it is fully wilted (about 5 minutes). Add crushed red peppers and.1 tablespoon of za'atar.
• When the pasta is ready, drain, keeping a little bit more of the cooking water still.
• Add the pasta to the pan of spinach and toss everything to combine. Add the remaining za'atar, cheese, lemon zest, and parsley. Toss until everything is well-combined. And if you need to, add a little more olive oil or a bit of the pasta cooking water. Serve with more cheese and za'atar on the side (I know I always add more of both to my bowl).

HERBY CHICKEN AND SPINACH BAKED PASTA WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add both cans of the tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat slightly, add the basil sprigs and simmer rapidly, uncovered, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard basil sprigs and stir in the chopped basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook the fusilli in the salted boiling water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl.
• Add the tomato sauce, spinach, chicken, half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan to the bowl and stir well to combine. Transfer the pasta to a 3- to 4-quart baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with more chopped basil if using.

ONE-POT PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid or a Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Use your hands to pull the sausages apart into small pieces; add to the skillet and cook untouched for 1 minute.
• Continue to cook for another 4 to 6 minutes, stirring at 1-minute intervals and breaking up the sausage into 1/2-inch chunks, until browned and crispy on the outside with no pink remaining. If you have more than 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan, drain the excess.
• Carefully pour in the passata (it may splatter), then add the cumin, red-pepper flakes and 2 cups water, stirring to combine. Season with salt and increase the heat to bring to a boil.
• Add the pasta, coating it with the liquid. (It won't be fully submerged, and that's OK.) Adjust the heat to maintain an active simmer with small bubbles forming on the surface. Cover and let cook, stirring every few minutes to make sure nothing is sticking at the bottom of the pan, until the pasta is al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructions. If the pasta is still hard at this point, add a few tablespoons of warm water at a time and cook until just al dente. Depending on your pasta size and shape, you may need to add several tablespoons of water.
• When the pasta is just al dente, reduce the heat to low and season to taste with salt. Stir in the spinach in batches, and cook, uncovered, until most of the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute more. (It will continue to wilt in the heat of the pasta after you serve it.) If the pasta seems too dry, add 1 tablespoon warm water at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Divide pasta among serving bowls and top with Parmesan.

PASTA WITH HERBED RICOTTA, TOMATOES AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Blanch the rinsed spinach leaves in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until limp, about 1 minute. Drain the spinach and cool completely under cold running water. Pat dry and chop.
• Put the ricotta cheese in a large bowl and beat with a fork until smooth. Stir in the spinach, scallions, basil, tomatoes, parsley and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook the penne until tender in well-salted boiling water. Drain, toss with the ricotta mixture, garnish with the pine nuts and serve immediately.

HERB CHEESE AND SPINACH SAUCE WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add wet spinach; cover pan; cook until spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in cream cheese and salt and pepper to taste until cheese is melted.(You can also add a couple of tablespoons of water or milk if desired).
• To serve, spoon over 1 pound of pasta, cooked.

HERBED SPINACH PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and keep warm.
• Cook onion, garlic, and basil in oil in skillet until onion is tender.
• Add pepper strips and cook 3 minutes.
• Stir in spinach: heat through.
• Toss with pasta and top with fresh parmesan cheese (if desired).