Recipes

Side Dishes and Vegetables

Simple Spinach & Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 cup loosely packed chopped spinach, fresh or frozen in bags
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic salt and pepper to taste (optional)
• 2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta in small shapes like macaroni, rotelli, or small shells
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts

Preparation:

1. Add olive oil to a medium nonstick saucepan or skillet heated over medium-high heat. After about 20 seconds when the oil is nice and hot, add the tomatoes, spinach, and garlic and continue to saute for a few minutes until spinach is soft and bright green and tomatoes are soft. Add some salt and pepper to taste if desired.
2. Stir in the cooked pasta and continue to cook and stir the mixture for a minute or two to heat up the pasta and blend the flavors. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top and turn off the heat. Let the dish sit for a couple of minutes, sprinkle pine nuts over the top, and serve!

Yield:
Makes 2 servings

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 279 calories, 11 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 5 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 89 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 27 percent.

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