Quinoa Pasta with Spinach and Cheese

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Spinach pasta

We are winding up the kitchen for a 7 week long trip to the Indian subcontinent. Though we are excited about the trip as I will get to meet with my family after 3 long years, it is also a daunting task. The most daunting of it all ? Clearing the fridge and pantry or storing the pantry items properly so they don’t go bad. But that’s not all. Not buying more stuff until the day we leave, is the hardest.

Spinach pasta-3

Just yesterday, while taking stock I was muttering to myself why I have all the stuff that could feed a dozen people for days. But today, when I was prepping up to make something for Ina Friday, I just didn’t seem to have enough of anything. I had to stop myself from heading out to the grocery store to buy stuff so I could make the dish I wanted to.

Instead, I improvised (feeling so virtuous). I looked through a bunch of Ina recipes and decided that Penne with spinach sauce was the one I could easily do as I happened to have some spinach. I also had a tub of roasted garlic herb epicurean butter that my friend Barb from creative- culinary had brought over to share with me sometime back. I did not have any goat cheese. That is one cheese that surprisingly just vanishes from my fridge. I don’t really know who eats it. Snacking does not count as eating, does it? Oh it does? Ok so it is me who finishes the goat cheese. (turning beetroot red)

Spinach pasta-2

I did have some cream cheese and some pecorino – so I decided to just wing it and make the dish. But then there was no penne. Or any Pasta!! I looked deeper in the pantry and out peeked some gluten free quinoa pasta. Oh hello Mister! Thank you for showing up! You are getting a cheesy makeover!!

The result ? The Quinoa pasta with spinach and cheese! I am sure Ina would be proud of me. It was melt in the mouth delicious. So while this may not be her original recipe, I am still posting it with Ina Fridays. Because more than her recipes, I like Ina for her love for cooking and inspiring people to cook good food.

Do stop by to check what other Ina Friday Bloggers have cooked up! It is always a Party on the first Friday!

If you’d like to participate on a monthly basis, email Alyce at afmorgan53@yahoo.com.   If you’d like to join in occasionally, just follow the prompt for the “linky” or blog hop and add your post – Ina Garten recipes only, please.
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Quinoa Pasta with Spinach and Cheese – Ina fridays

Ingredients

  • 15¾ oz 450g quinoa pasta (or any other pasta)
  • 1 tsp Roasted Garlic Herb butter from epicurean or use some garlic and butter
  • 2 tbs pecorino grated
  • 1 oz cream cheese
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
  • 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese,garlic butter, some pepper and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy; set aside.
  3. Place the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl. Drain the pasta. Spoon the pasta atop the spinach leaves in the bowl.
  4. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper.
  5. Add in the grated pecorino and serve.

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