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| Spinach Sundried Tomato Sauce | ||
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| I've been working on this sauce for a while. Spinach is so good and so good for you, but it really needs a little something to bring it to life. So I was a-thinnin' one day, and I thought, why not try a spinach/sun dried tomato sauce? With feta cheese! Like a spinach pie!
So I tried it that way, and the feta didn't cut it. I tried putting it in right after I drained the pasta, I tried sprinkling it on right before serving, and for some reason, it just wasn't clicking. And then last night, while trying out my brand new gas stove with the spinach/sun dried tomato sauce/project, I was just about to cook the pasta when it hit me. Ricotta cheese. They make no-fat ricotta, too! So I grabbed my itchy bitchy dog, Jesse, put her in the back of the Jeep, lit a cigar, and took off for the grocery store. As soon as I got back, I cooked up the pasta, added the no-fat ricotta, and...it was kickin'! Now, I hope you know how I feel about partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. They ain't no good. Well, this ricotta is made with skim milk, and it is not a so bad! So, after years of experimenting, and trial and error, here it is. Before you start, I know this sounds like a lot of spinach, and spinach is not the easiest thing in the world to clean, but when you cook this down, you will be amazed at how little spinach you have left in the pan. Clean the spinach by rinsing well in cold water, and removing the gnarly stems from the leaves. Tear leaves into small pieces. Not too small! There's lots of shrinkage! And use a good white wine. Open the bottle and measure out a cup. Set the cup aside. Drink the rest with someone you love. Now, you're ready to cook! Ingredients: 15 cups spinach, stems removed, cleaned, and torn into small pieces (the size of an egg) 5 cloves of garlic, chopped fine 1 1/2 cups sun dried tomatoes (not the packed-in-oil kind!) 1 cup of wine 2 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar 1 cup no-fat ricotta cheese 1 cup toasted pine nuts (optional) I've been going nuts, lately... 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 pound of pasta, like penne rigate, or farfalle Salt and crushed red pepper to taste Clean spinach in cold water, remove stems, tear to pieces. Heat olive oil in large sauce pan over medium-low heat for a couple minutes. Add chopped garlic. Cook a couple minutes, until golden. Add chopped sun dried tomatoes. Cook for a couple minutes. Add the vinegar. Cook for a couple minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the white wine. Cook for...you guessed it, a couple minutes. These buggers soak up a lot of liquid, so you might have to add more oil/wine/vinegar. When the tomatoes get soft, but still chewy, add the other 1/2 cup of white wine. Turn up the heat to medium. Add the spinach. Stir constantly, and in a couple of minutes, it should be ready. The spinach needs to be wilted, not cooked to death. Cook pasta until al dente, which means firm, or literally, to-the tooth. Drain and transfer to a large warm bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta and toss (not in the air-in the bowl.) Add the ricotta and toss again. Add most of the sauce and, you guessed it, toss again. Top off with a dollop of the sauce, and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. To toast the pine nuts - put a small fry pan over high heat and add your nuts. Stir constantly until golden brown. Enjoy! |
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