Penne Pasta with Tomatoes and Spinach

By barbsjustagirl

Jamie Cooks It Up recipe - excellent!

Ingredients

• 1 (1 pound) box penne pasta
• 7-8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2-3 Tb olive oil
• 2 (1 pint) containers grape tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 3-4 handfulls of spinach
• 1 C parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp lemon juice, fresh
• Instructions

Details

Cooking time 20mins
Adapted from jamiecooksitup.net

Preparation

Step 1

1. Grab a (1 pound) box of penne pasta. Boil some water and cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. While your pasta is cooking. Grab a nice bulb of fresh garlic. Separate about 7-8 cloves from the bulb and smash them a bit with the handle of a heavy knife. This will help with peels to come off more easily. Peel the cloves and chop them into small pieces. Now, a word of caution here. You don't want to mince them for this recipe. The smaller the pieces of garlic are, the more potent they will become. We are looking for a subtle flavor here, so keep the pieces small...not tiny.
3. Heat a deep skillet up over medium high heat. When the pan is hot add 2-3 Tb olive oil. You need enough to cover the bottom of your pan.
4. Grab some beautiful grape tomatoes. Now, please be aware...this pasta dish will not be nearly as good if you use a different variety of tomatoes. The sweet flavor of the grape tomatoes is the basis for the the light sauce that coats the penne. Toss 2 (1 pint) containers of grape tomatoes, along with the chopped garlic, into the skillet. Hit it with a bit of salt and pepper. Let the veggies saute for about 5-6 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to crack. Press a spatula over the top of the tomatoes forcing them to burst a bit and release their wonderful juices.
5. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet.
6. Add 4-5 large handfulls of spinach (about 1/2 of a 10 ounce bag). Now, don't be alarmed. The spinach will wilt down nicely for you. Grab some tongs and stir the spinach around a bit. Make sure not to "cook" the spinach. You just want it to wilt. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 C grated parmesan cheese and a bit of salt and pepper. Use your tongs again to stir the cheese into the hot pasta.
7. Add about 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper to your liking. Serve immediately.