Pasta and Spinach Recipe: My Favorite Pasta for a Cozy Night In My Apartment
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I am about to bear my soul to you today. What I'm about to share with you is so deeply personal, so important to me, such a monumental part of my life… And without it, I don't know if I'd be the same person as I am today.
What I'm about to share with you is the pasta and spinach recipe I've been eating my entire life. It's my pasta origin story. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the first non-baby food I ever ate. It's called Pasta and Greens, and it is the food of my soul, the food of my family, the cheesy glue that binds us together.
And in the video below, I show you how to make it! Scroll down for the recipe and instructions. 😊
Would you rather watch than read? Here’s the video! ↓
What's wonderful about Pasta and Greens is it's super easy and doesn't require very many ingredients.
Actually, my great aunt and uncle, who come from Italy (I'm not Italian by blood, I just have a lot of Italians in my family. Long story.) But these two old Italians in our family were quite shocked and perplexed that my dad was making Pasta and Greens because apparently it’s considered like a “peasant food” in Italy, according to them at least. And so they were a little concerned that my parents were having some money problems.
But the thing is, Pasta and Greens is just a delicious dish regardless of how cheap it is to make. One man's peasant food is another man's feast.
And honestly, I've watched enough Anthony Bourdain to know that the peasant food of a country is the key to its soul. It is the food of the people and the food of the soul of that country. So when it comes to any country's peasant food, sign me up!
So here’s the recipe, which makes enough for two people!
Or if you live alone, it makes enough for leftovers, which is what I like to do. If I'm going to put the effort into cooking, I’m going to make enough for a couple days at least. 🙃
1/2 lb linguine
Olive oil, coat the pan
20 oz baby spinach
A ton of Parmesan cheese (I honestly don’t have an exact amount for you. Watch the video and you’ll see the size of the Parmesan mountain I create.)
Lots of garlic (shit, I’m realizing I really don’t have exact measurements… I’m not a food blogger, so my apologies! Again, watch the video and you’ll see. I’m sorry lol)
Salt & pepper to taste
See how simple of a dish that is?
Now, here's the most important thing: the success of your Pasta and Greens hinges on the quality of your ingredients, specifically the olive oil and the Parmesan cheese.
Garlic is garlic, spinach is spinach, but you have to have good olive oil and you have to have good cheese. Since there are so few ingredients in Pasta and Greens, the ingredients you do have have to shine.
So when it comes to the Parmesan cheese, I personally love this big boy from Costco. You honestly just can't go wrong with Costco. But if you don't have a Costco, then you can just go to your local grocery store and ask for like their best Parmesan cheese. And none of that pre-grated shit, okay? Get a bigass block.
And then there’s the ever-important olive oil. There are a lot of different olive oils I like. Again, if you go to Costco, they usually have really good olive oils.
For example, they used to have this Moroccan olive oil, (you can also find it on Amazon), which is incredible. But either way, just make sure you're getting a good quality olive oil. This is crucial for Pasta and Greens.
Now watch the video to see how to bring these ingredients together and make Pasta and Greens!
It's a great dish if you live in a small apartment and don’t have a ton of space in your kitchen, but want to make something simple yet delicious. It's also the perfect dish for someone with limited cooking abilities. ✋ Because it's quite easy and doesn't require very many ingredients or cooking appliances.
It’s the perfect, easy-to-make pasta for a cozy night in, living alone in a small apartment. I was born to make and consume this pasta. 🤌
Let me know in the comments below, what is a dish that you have been eating for a good portion of your life that really means something? Maybe it's a family dish, maybe it's just something that has a lot of nostalgic value to you. Let me know what that dish is in the comments below!
