Pasta with Spinach Sauce

By gilligan1963

Ingredients

• 1 carrot, diced very small
• 1 rib celery, diced very small
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced very small
• 4 oz pancetta, diced very small
• 3 tbsp, olive oil
• 4 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp, butter
• 1 15 oz can, whole tomato
• 1/2 lb, pasta of your choice
• 1/4 cup, grated pecorino romano

Preparation

Step 1

In a large saucepan, heat up the olive oil over medium head and then throw in the carrot, celery, and onion. Sauté over medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes, until the onion is golden and the carrots and celery have softened.

Once the carrot and celery have softened, add in the pancetta and continue to cook over medium heat for another 5 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta renders its fat and starts to caramelize slightly.

Once the pancetta has cooked, add in the spinach. Add it in one cup at a time, letting it wilt as you go, and stir together. Let it cook for about 15 minutes over medium low heat, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the spinach is very soft. This long cooking time brings out the flavor of the spinach and gives ample time for all of the flavors to combine.

After the spinach has cooked about 7 of its 15 minutes, add in the tablespoon of butter, stir together, and then continue cooking until the full 15 minutes has completed.

Add in the can of tomatoes and stir together. You'll want to stir roughly so that the tomatoes break apart. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes will break down during this cooking time and a nice chunky but smooth sauce will have formed.

While the sauce is simmering, cook up your pasta in lightly salted water. Cook it until 1 minute shy of the package directions, then remove it from the water and add it to the pot with the spinach sauce. Add in your grated pecorino romano, a touch of the pasta water, and stir everything together over high heat until the consistency of the sauce is right where you want it. Serve and enjoy!