In an ideal world, we’d all sit down together for dinner every night. However on most weeknights, I cook for my boys on the early side. I nibble at what I’m cooking for them and then sit and talk with them while they eat. My husband usually arrives just in time to read them a good-night story. Then the two of us try to eat together (if I haven’t picked too much at the boys’ food)!
The other night during “story time,” I whipped this up for my very hungry vegetarian husband and me. I just used what I had on hand. I want to share it because it’s simple, quick, healthy, and delicious!
Ingredients:
1/2 pound dry fusilli pasta
Olive oil to coat the pan
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled plum tomatoes
2 cups packed spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Preparation:
Serves 4 to 6
Total Prep and Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Cook the fusilli in a large pot of boiling, salted water just until tender but still firm to bite, about 10 to 12 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, coat a large saute pan with olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the garlic and cook until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to break the tomatoes into smaller pieces and cook for another 5 minutes. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it, and add it directly to the sauce. Sprinkle each portion with the cheese when serving.
Some additional notes:
You can use any pasta you’d like — I use brown rice fusilli, since my family eats gluten-free at home.
I love a lot of red onion because they’re sweet. However, for the kids, I’d suggest removing them from the pan before you add the rest of the ingredients, and serve them on the side.
