Fusilli with Spinach Puree

February 24, 2008 at 5:28 pm (Dark leafy greens, Italian, Jack Bishop, Pasta, Quick weeknight recipe, Starches, Tofu, unrated)

This brilliant green vaguely pesto-like sauce is based on a recipe from Jack Bishop’s Italian Vegetarian Cookbook.  If you have a food processor it’s extremely simple and fast to make.

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot for cooking

• 10 ounces of whole-wheat fusilli pasta.

Combine in the work bowl of a food processor:

• 2 Tbs pine nuts, toasted (be very careful not to burn them at all!)
• 8 ounces flat-leaf spinach (about 3 cups tightly packed leaves), washed. Shake them to remove excess water but do not dry them.
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese (or stir in afterwards for the best texture)
• 1/4? salt (heaping if no parmigiano is used)

My notes:

If your pasta is hot, just toss and serve. Otherwise, you can eat the sauce cold on the pasta but I prefer to briefly warm it in a small saucepan or the microwave first.

I like the bright green color and fresh flavor of this sauce. The ricotta adds creaminess and helps reduce the oil content so it’s less greasy than typical pestos. I’ve used tofu in place of the ricotta.  It’s different but I like it.  Both version have  a nice, creamy, but pleasantly rough texture. The flavor is mild (even a bit on the bland side–perhaps a little lemon juice would be good?). If you don’t have pine nuts you can substitute walnuts.

I think this recipe makes about 1.5 cups, and you need about 1/3 cup sauce for a big bowl of pasta.  This recipe makes a nice main dish but really needs a side as well.  I like to serve it with a chickpea or fava bean and fruit salad.