Spinach & Chili Pasta
Steamed spinach, creamed spinach, spinach salad, spinach soup…or spinach pasta! It’s amazing how versatile spinach can be. (Spinach-and-beet juice is another interesting one.) Maybe Popeye wasn’t so crazy, after all…
Even though this dish only has 7 ingredients, it has loads of macro- and micro-nutrients and plenty of visual appeal; plus, spinach and whole-grain pasta makes for a very hearty meal. The chili powder–usually a blend of dried peppers, oregano, cumin, onion, and garlic–adds a Latin flair. (Spice Hunter chili powder blend is my favorite–it also includes cinnamon, cocoa, and cloves for a vaguely mole feel.)
Spinach and Chili Pasta
For the pasta:
Choose a whole-grain pasta (whole-wheat, kamut, spelt, brown rice, etc.) and prepare according to package directions. (Note: 100% brown rice pasta is gluten-free.)
For the sauce:
Dice and sautée one small onion and 2 cloves of garlic in a pat of butter. After a minute or two–garlic will become fragrant–sprinkle on 2 tsp. of chili powder, then stir in 2-3 diced tomatoes and about 1/2 tsp. sea salt. Continue stirring, keeping the heat at a medium-low setting, for another minute or two to allow the flavors to blend. Add a handful or two of fresh spinach leaves and carefully stir them into the tomato mixture, spooning the sauce up and on top of the leaves to gently incorporate them. (You may want to use an entire 10-oz. bag of spinach leaves as they will shrink to about 1/8th of their original volume.) Warning: it will only take a minute or two for the spinach to cook! This sauce could easily be named Salsa Rapida.
Serve hot with whole-grain pasta. Nice garnishes would be freshly-chopped cilantro/parsley or a flavorful, salty cheese like Feta.
Enjoy!
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Tags: chili powder, pasta, popeye, spinach
