Occasionally my worlds of running a full time web business and this blog can collide and this week that was most definitely the case. I’m glad I persevered…it forced me to make something simple and we just loved this dish.
Luckily I had a lot of produce on hand and plenty of goods in the pantry so everything I needed was on hand. Whew!
This is one of those ‘so up my alley’ dishes; I’ve been cooking pasta with vegetables for years, long before it became popular or trendy. I have always loved the Pasta con Broccoli dish that is from a cookbook that belonged to my mother from the late 1950′s. My propensity to combine the two was solidified the year we had a bumper zucchini crop. I was DESPERATE to find something new to do with zucchini and into pasta it went!
It was prophetic I thought that I also had some garlic I was dying to use. Homegrown garlic even. For all the garlic I’ve had in my life, I have never known the person who grew it, but this time I did. I’ve come to know and love Carolyn with Cowlick Cottage and she has a garden To. Die. For. One day someone won a box of garlic from her and if I recall correctly; I do believe I literally begged her to send me some too. I think I was kidding but she was not. Look at that beautiful garlic. Thanks Carolyn.
This was a total hit. Gorgeous and delish I must say. :)
Simple and fresh pasta salad with spinach, tomatoes and roasted garlic.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 head of garlic, roasted
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 medium onion, cut into large dice
- 1 box Bow-tie pasta
- 6 oz baby spinach (I had a pre-washed bag of spinach I used, it was a 6 oz package.
- 2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Put half of the olive oil, roasted garlic cloves (see Notes for more info) and balsamic vinegar into a small food processor or a small bowl. Process or mash until the garlic is no longer large pieces.
- Put the remaining oil and the butter into a saucepan with chopped onions, a pinch of salt and and some fresh ground pepper; cook the onion until translucent and starting to brown; add the garlic/oil mixture and thoroughly incorporate with the onions. Remove to bowl.
- Using the same pot, fill with salted water and bring it to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions til al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
- Add the uncooked baby spinach and the onion/garlic/oil mixture to the pot and toss together.
- On medium heat, add the diced tomatoes, stirring to combine. Heat for an additional 2 minutes; stirring constantly.
- Serve in bowls with fresh grated Parmesan cheese grated on top.
Notes
I used a bowl of fresh from the garden cherry tomatoes that I just had to cut in half. They were perfect but you could also dice larger tomatoes.
The garlic I got from Carolyn had already been roasted. I just love how roasting makes it so sweet. Here's how:
Peel off any loose paper on garlic bulbs you want to roast but don't separate the cloves; keeping the bulb form.
Cut off the top of the bulb exposing the raw cloves.
Put the bulbs into a heatproof dish and drizzle each one with some olive oil. Salt and pepper each bulb.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325 for one hour. Cloves should be lightly brown.
When cool, simply squeeze the cloves out of the bulb.
{ 87 comments… read them below or add one }
Simple and delicious!!!
leslie Most Recent Post: Mixed Berry Tart
Barb I was immediately smitten with this when seeing the first photo on my email subscription to your blog. Gorgeous dish. Light enough for summer’s heat but something to transition into the cooler temps of fall that will be coming all too soon. A perfect pasta dish by my definition (and superb photos).
I have all the ingredients to make this.
Thanks for sharing
Jennifer
http://www.jennifersikora.com
I’ve always enjoyed the recipes on Renee’s blog and this looks like another great one. Simple, flavorful and packed with veggies. This is perfect for those days when it’s too hot to turn on the oven.
This was an easy one for me…I do a ton of pasta, tomato and something else dishes…although not sure I’ve done spinach before, I’m glad I did it now. Yes, a perfect ‘it’s too hot to cook’ dish Dara.
Simple and wonderful..I love it!!
Don’t you think the best of summer fruits almost require simple? The fruit is the start…the topping is a nice accessory though!
This is another family pleaser. Im lucky to have kids that love all of these ingredients. Off to meet Renee I’m always game to meet another canner!
This is a great yet simple dish; perfect for a busy mom with kids too! Enjoy your trip to the Flamingo’s!
This looks like one heck of an amazing pasta!
Ahem…I can assure you one thing…you are gonna want seconds! :)
I love that there’s just as much spinach as pasta! YUM.
I actually held back on the whole package of spinach but I’m revising that notion today (and the post); I loved having a lot of it in the dish too…especially if just ‘barely’ cooked. Missing leftovers for lunch today. Sob.
Oh my goodness! This dish is so “up MY alley!” This looks so divine and fresh. Looks like another “must make” to add to my list. Yum!
We need to live closer. That is all.
This looks like my kind of dish…yum! I love the pastas with lighter sauce or just olive oil and garlic! Love the spinach!
Katie Most Recent Post: Kicked Up Creamed Corn From Scratch
Thank you Katie…this type of pasta has become more of my go to dish than anything with a heavier sauce. Probably doing it again this week with some zucchini and tomatoes; my favorite way to eat my veggies!
what a refreshing and healthy dish for summer …. it looks simply yummy:) thank you for sharing this!! have a great day.
Thank you for visiting…and the same too you. That great day business!
This is my kind of dinner. Paired with a glass of wine and a cool summer breeze, and you’re set!
Me too…and it was just that. I’ve been making similar pastas for years with a wide variety of veggies and pasta but have to admit…I always seem to find a way for garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar!
This pasta dish looks amazing – great pictures also!
Thank you Jamie, very appreciated.
one pot dishes are great! I even have all the ingredients on hand to make this one!
I had planned to use mushrooms too but the ones I had were not ready for primetime! It does seem that almost any combo of fresh veggies would work. I love the spinach because the cooking time is almost nonexistent. Fast is sometimes the best isn’t it?
I love how colorful this is! What a gorgeous dish of pasta :)
Isn’t it? And I loved how simple it was…the taste is truly the bestest part.
I love pasta dishes, all kind of pasta dishes and I know that this i no exception :-)
All the best,
Birthe from Denmark
Thanks Birthe…I’m with you…if it’s pasta, I’ll probably like it. Just never mix pasta with green pepper…well, at least not for me!
Really, really gorgeous recipe Barbara! Lots of my favorite flavors all in one bowl. Just might be perfect for tonight’s dinner :-)
Thanks Lana. I had actually planned to add mushrooms too, however, I should have planned to not leave them out on the counter in a plastic bag. Nope…they weren’t going in. Next time though.
This looks so yummy – always looking for a way to use up the extra cherry tomatoes from the garden….and if you’re going to force pasta on me, I can’t refuse!
Oh how I wish I had some extra tomatoes from a garden…LUCKY! Do it!
I love that I have everything to make this on most nights. So simple and satisfying. I can’t wait for some more of my tomatoes to ripen up!
Think about switching it up too…zucchini if no spinach, red peppers, mushrooms…it’s just a great base for a veggie pasta.
This is gorgeous! I am not a pasta fan at all but you have all the right (enticing) ingredients. The photos are gorgeous too.
Nice and sunny here and the kids do not go back to school for another ten days so I will slot this in for one of their lunches!
Hope you are well. Hugs all round.
I love the garlic/balsamic dressing…and really, with great fresh ingredients I bet you would, well, like it? Hope you are too…hugs back at ya!
Very prettily pictured making it all the more decadent.
Thank you Rachel; the photo stuff is new to me; so I always really appreciate those kind comments.
Beautiful eye popping color. I am such a pasta freak myself. Funny because I never used to be! Probably because I only ate it in macaroni salad and spaghetti…until I started making my own dishes. :)
I always loved it but never the actual pasta; I think I just loved it as the vehicle for sauce. Now I seldom use red sauce, preferring a lighter one most often and really appreciate the pasta and the veggies as a favorite combination now. See…old dog, new trick…it can happen!
Yay you Barbara…you used my fave ingredient – garlic, and roasted? Even bettah!! LOVED reading the post, and love the pasta you’ve picked from Renee…the canning flamingo queen! I met her on twitter too, and she is just wonderful! Strange that most of us met and got to know each other well on twitter over the past 3 years! Gla we met!! HUGS!!
Strange coincidence that we were in a circle. You did my post, I did Renee’s and Renee had yours. I know so few of the bloggers participating that I thought that was fun for us tweeps too!
This pasta looks simply divine! This is a recipe I need to try!
So easy too Jen…a big part of what I loved about it!
How good does this look?! There’s just nothing btter than fresh summer flavors tossed in with pasta.
I’ve waited a long time for some fresh from the garden tomatoes; if they had been bigger, I would have had a plain old tomato sandwich, but those cherry tomatoes were perfect for this dish. And…thanks (it does taste as good as it looks too!).
The Hub loved this recipe! I used white balsamic, added shrimp, and made it up cold so spinach & our garden tomatoes could shine.
Sounds perfect Helen…I need to get some shrimp before I do this again!
I love adding in veggies to my pasta…it makes me feel less guilt! Haha!
True, right? But another truth…I make most of my pasta and my pizza with veggies and olive oil. I can’t remember when I had red sauce!
Barb, I never add spinach to my pasta and I should. Thanks for the reminder and encouraging in the right direction post. Lookin’ good!
Spinach is great in pasta…but I like it just ‘barely’ wilted. Renee cooked hers a bit longer so it really is personal preference. Let me know if you try it Shulie.
Mmmmm, I love pasta and have to try this.
NO REASON NEEDED Most Recent Post: Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers…
This looks delish. I have to try this!!!!
Do pop over and say hello at my blog.
You should…I was very happy with the finished dish. And I will…if I haven’t already!
This is right up my alley. A great recipe!!
I think those were the words I used too…right up my alley. Easy, healthy and good? YES!
Yum, this looks so tasty! I loooooooooooove roasted garlic, so good, especially with spinach. Love your photos too!
Thanks very much Sara…the cooking I’ve done a long time…the photo stuff not so much so any kudos on those results are especially appreciated!
This looks beautiful, fresh and healthy. Gorgeous.
Thanks Alli and thanks for stopping by too!
This looks just perfect. Roasted garlic is an amazing ingredient.
Thanks for sharing the link to Flamingo Musings – I keep kosher and am trying to learn canning, so this sounds like a great site for me to check out.
When something like this works with the sharing of blogs and info…isn’t that the best part of it?
That is a beautiful looking pasta dish, so fresh!
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my SRC recipe this month: Cilantro Lime Chicken
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
Lisa~~ Most Recent Post: Cilantro Lime Chicken
I loved it…planning on making the Cilantro Lime chicken for dinner…tonight the pasta can be a side!
Barbara, Beautiful and healthy pasta dish..I can almost smell the garlic spinach. The tang of balsamic vinegar sounds perfect to offset the rich flavor.
That said, no idea who was assigned my blog, can’t find any of my recipes or any recipes that are close. I’m stumped, but curious lol
Finally, I didn’t know Jennifer, but what happened to her hit hard. The last dance made for lots of Kleenex. Making my pie for Mikey today. Didn’t find out until Friday, and was away most of weekend.
I do love my balsamic and it was a touch that I’m glad I added. Hope you found your blog! I know some had not posted; so not fair, hope it wasn’t you!
Not only a fabulous looking pasta dish, but that garlic is a thing to behold! I wanted to grow some this year, but we didn’t get to it, so it’ll have to be a next year thing. I can’t wait for our garden to start really producing this summer, though!
Isn’t it beautiful. The garlic that is? I’ve so glad I embarrassed myself with my begging…it was the prettiest garlic I’ve EVAH seen!
Hi Elle! I encourage you to try growing garlic. It’s a fun crop that doesn’t take too much work and is very rewarding. I’m not sure what zone you gardeni in, but here in north Florida, we plant ours in the fall, and it grows all winter long. So research when you should plant it in your zone, and don’t wait too long! :)
Yes Elle I think you should grow garlic too…then next year I can be a taste tester for YOU! And thank you again Carolyn…just loved it so much.
First, thank you so much for your kind words, Barb! Coming from you, high praise, indeed. You are, as they say in the vernacular, “teh awesome!” :-D
This pasta dish is still one of my favorite weeknight meals. I’ve even made it on the road for that gang referred to in the comments. I absolutely LOVE what you’ve done with it. And your photos make the dish look even more special.
And now I have to track down some of Carolyn’s garlic, too!
Renée J. (RJ Flamingo) Most Recent Post: Mango Pistachio Ricotta Tart
Certainly Renee…and I do love this dish; it is reminiscent of the ways I like to eat when I have nothing planned but still crave something good. Most excited to have again tonight for leftovers…even easier!
Hi Renee! How funny that our mutual friend, Barbara, used your recipe and my garlic to make this beautiful dish! Renee and I have been tweeting about canning for quite some time now. And she’s hilarious and a great cook! I really do love the connections we make through food and blogging. XO!
This pasta dish looks simply delicious!
Thanks Nancy..I’m a sucker for anything with garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar…and it sure worked here!
This is perfect! Fresh and low maintenance cooking!
Exactly…one pot perfect meal. And good too!
You create some of the most wonderful pasta dishes and Carolyn grows some of the best looking garlic I’ve seen!
Well, first, thank you but more importantly? I know…isn’t it BEAUTIFUL. Sort of hated to cook it; would have liked better to have preserved it forever!
Awww, you and Barbara made my day. Thank you!
Absolutely gorgeous as usual!
A beautiful and mouthwatering dish!
Cheers,
Rosa
Thanks Rosa; always appreciate your sweet comments.
i love pasta ! the bow tie pasta reminds me of butterflies :) gorgeous images !
a spoonful of yumm Most Recent Post: Spicy Baby Potatoes
Me too…I love bowtie pasta for one reason and one reason only. It’s pretty. :)
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