Penne with Spinach Sauce
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| Wed, 09-05-2007 - 1:01pm |
Another thumbs up from DH on this one! YUMMY!
I modified this recipe a little because I don't like goat cheese. Also, I read the reviews and took the advice that was noted. It turned out great! And was super fast to make.
Because goat cheese is so strong, I used extra cream cheese on top of the substitution. Per the reviews, the garlic is really strong in this recipe, so I sauteed my garlic for about 2 min.
Recipe follows and also here is the link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32603,00.html?rsrc=search
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Penne with Spinach Sauce
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
1 pound whole wheat or multi grain penne
3 garlic cloves (I sauteed in a drop of olive oil for a few minutes)
2 ounces goat cheese (substituted 3 ounces of cream cheese)
1 ounce reduced fat cream cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (I actually used 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.
Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the cheese and spinach mixture aside.
Meanwhile, place the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Spoon the pasta atop the spinach leaves in the bowl. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta mixture and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Parmesan over and serve.
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-Erica


I've made this before, too, and really like it (I happen to love goat cheese, so I used it). It does make a large amount, though!
Dana
I love Giada and I think I remember seeing this one on her show! I will definately try it! I'm always afraid of eating pasta b/c I tend to overdo it on the portion sizes but if I portion it out ahead of time I am okay...this one sounds delicious and easy!
Aggie
I wish I could eat goat cheese! I have tried it twice, once on pizza and once in a pasta sauce. I did some research and there is apparently a brand that "people that don't like goat cheese would love". I may try to find a brand that I can tolerate.
Regarding the amount...it was a lot. I cut back on the amount of pasta and it still took us 3 days to finish it off.
-Erica
I love her too but rarely find a recipe that seems SB friendly. I am a pasta junkie and portion size is definitely an issue. I think I measured out 3 cups of dry pasta instead of a whole pound (forgot to note that in my post so I will go back and edit).
I ate a heaping 1/2 cup cooked as a grain serving which is why it took us so long to finish it off.
-Erica
I try to really bulk up on the veggies when I am eating pasta...the bowl seems so much more full when the veggies are mixed in with the pasta. Still though....
thanks for the tip on the amount!