Spaghetti with Spinach and Olive Oil

After spending countless hours cooking this holiday season, I’m craving simple foods that require little effort.

In the past week I’ve made two holiday meals, dozens upon dozens of cookies and candies and enough appetizers for a week’s worth of cocktail parties. And as much as I love to cook, I’m sort of burned out.

That said, I still have a house full of people to feed. It’s funny how they never burn out on eating.

When I get tired of cooking, I reach for the pasta. It’s a real quick fix and can easily be jazzed up with just about anything you have in your fridge.

This dish that I’m sharing with you today, Spaghetti with Spinach and Olive Oil, is about as simple as it gets, but simple doesn’t have to mean bland.

Just a few quality ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and a tangy aged cheese does wonders in a jiffy.

So, if you too are recovering from holiday cooking, give this dish a whirl. You’re just a pot of boiling water away from an incredible meal.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Spaghetti with Spinach and Olive Oil

 

Author:

Melanie

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 6

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 25 mins

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Spinach, garlic and pine nuts take the ordinary to the extraordinary in this simple to make pasta dish.

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti, cooked al dente
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups baby spinach, sliced
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
• ¼ cup aged cheese such as Parmesan, shaved
• kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add garlic cloves and cook just until fragrant. About two minutes.
3. Add pasta, spinach and pine nuts. Using tongs, toss the ingredients just until heated. About two to three minutes. Add salt and a generous amount of fresh ground black pepper.
4. Serve topped with fresh shaved cheese.
5. Notes:
6. You can substitute any leafy green for the spinach. Kale, chard and even basil are fine substitutions. Also, any aged cheese works well too. Feel free to use what you have in your fridge.

3.1.09