Pasta in a Pinch

Yesterday was a whirlwind of a Wednesday… which is one of the reasons why our typical “On the Blog” post has been postponed till now! I thought about sharing with our followers tips on socially distanced workouts or different ways to use your favorite legumes. But then I found some inspiration in the last-minute dinner I prepared last night. 

With projects, meetings, personal appointments, + a social life, getting home from a well worked day can be the best feeling in the world. But getting home from a well worked day with nothing to eat, is hands down the worst feeling in the world. After the busy day I had yesterday, all I wanted was some comfort food- and growing up in an italian family, my ultimate comfort food has always been pasta. Lots of people think making a delicious pasta dish can be time consuming. But my beautiful mother taught me that as long as you have pasta, EVOO, + fresh garlic, you have everything you need for some pasta in a pinch!

 

INGREDIENTS

Growing up + even now, I usually have these ingredients in my fridge at all times because I live on salad, pasta, + garlic! If you’re like me, you probably have these or some variation of them in your fridge too.

 

  • Your Fave Pasta (I love this recipe with rigatoni or penne)

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Fresh Garlic - crushed

  • Salt

  • Butter

  • Tomatoes (I use grape or cherry tomatoes, halved)

  • Spinach (Any leafy green will work)

  • Caldo Con Sabor De Pollo (*optional* but also my mom’s SECRET INGREDIENT… oops, sorry mom!)

  • Parmesan cheese

 

STEPS

  1. Boil your water + add pasta. Remember to oversalt the water!

  2. Add EVOO + crushed garlic to pan + cook until garlic is fragrant. Do not burn garlic!

  3. Add cut tomatoes to pan + salt. Stir. Cook with the lid until tomatoes are soft and juicy.

  4. Add butter + some more EVOO. You’re making a sauce for the pasta so be generous!

  5. Add spinach to the pan. Stir + cook till wilted.

  6. Take a couple ladles full of starchy pasta water from the boiling pasta + add to the pan.

  7. Sprinkle in some Caldo Con Sabor De Pollo! This powder is salty, but it will give the sauce a great texture and taste - less is more.

  8. Simmer sauce mixture for a few minutes.

  9. Drain pasta + return to pan.

  10.  Pour sauce over pasta + mix well. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese! You can even sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes over the pasta for a little kick.

 

Xoxo,

G

August 19, 2022 — Alison Velázquez
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