Summer makes me lazy. So when it’s too hot to turn on the oven, I love a good, quick pasta for dinner. Sure, there’s a brief time spent in front of the steamy stovetop as the pasta boils, but it’s brief and not as hot as the scorching interior of the kitchen. And there’s something about summer ingredients that are absolutely PERFECT for pasta, that makes the stovetop-induced excess sweating 1000% worth it. In this recipe I chose my favorite veggies, which is a spinach and basil pasta, with a little spicy garlic thrown in along with parmesan, lemon, burrata, pistachios and red pepper flakes for a little heat. You could definitely add some fresh halved cherry tomatoes if you want a little summer tomato too, or keep it simple like I did here. And if you need a protein boost, some cannellini beans or chopped cooked chicken thighs would also be tasty. That’s another of the wonderful things about pasta: it’s very flexible! So do what works for you.
Speaking of flexibility, over the last few weeks I’ve been working on going with the flow and trying to relax the house it hasn’t sold yet. I find myself standing in front of the living room window, staring at the street and waiting for people to pull over and take one of the flyers from the “for sale” sign. Then he quickly jumps away from the window on the rare occasion that someone ago pull over, which I think makes it seem like the house is A) possibly haunted, or B) the owners (us) are very Very desperate: neither is a good look. Like many things I’ve had to deal with in the last couple of years, I’ve gone all out I I can and the rest is completely out of my control, so I have to learn to accept it and not let worries dominate my mind. Much easier said than done, of course, as my concerned comrades know. But anyway. I’m trying. And that has to count for something.
I’ve also been eating a lot of panna cotta lately. Largely because of the heat, and also because it’s so quick to throw together and keeps so well in the fridge! And if you have guests over, it’s a fun little gift to keep in some jars you have around. So, if you too feel the flavors of Italy calling your name, you can try this pistachio panna cotta or this old but delicious blood orange panna cotta from the archives. Both REALLY go well with spinach and basil puree (speaking from experience here).
In terms of what paste to use, I highly recommend using this one bucatini for this dish if you can find it. It used to be hard to find in regular grocery stores, but now it’s becoming more and more easily accessible, and for that I’m deeply grateful because it’s delish with a capital T. It’s basically spaghetti’s thicker, slightly denser cousin, with a little hole in the center that allows all the sauce to be sucked into the pasta beforehand. It ago they take a little longer to cook than most other types of pasta, so be sure to read and follow package directions before switching to spaghetti autopilot, because they will definitely take longer to cook than your regular noodles . And with that, dear reader, I leave you with this simple and tasty situation of pasta with spinach and basil. I hope you’re having a great summer and that we’ll get back to you with a tasty donut coming soon! (And fingers crossed, good news on the house!!!)
Pasta Spinach Basil With Burrata And Chilli
This flavorful spinach and basil pasta is tossed with lemon juice, zest, parmesan, pistachio, creamy burrata and red pepper flakes.
Spinach + Basil Sauce
-
2
cups
loosely packed fresh spinach leaves -
1
cup
loosely packed fresh basil leaves -
1/2
cup
freshly grated parmesan -
4
cloves
garlic
coarsely chopped -
1/4
cup
lemon juice
freshly squeezed - Finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon
-
3/4
teaspoon
salt -
1/2
cup
extra virgin olive oil
Bucatini + Condiments
-
13
ounces
dried bucatini -
4
ounces
burrata
coarsely chopped -
¼
cup
chopped pistachios
or your favorite nut -
½ to 1
teaspoon
chilli flakes
depending on your heat preferences
Spinach + Basil Sauce
-
Add the spinach, basil, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and ¼ cup olive oil to a blender or food processor. Blend on low speed until blended, then increase speed to medium-low and add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil drizzled through the small hole in the top of the blender or food processor. Blend until relatively smooth with finely chopped vegetable bits, stopping blending to scrape insides with a rubber spatula if necessary. Makes about 1 cup of sauce.
Bucatini + Assembly
-
Prepare bucatini in a large pot following the directions on the package. Toward the end of the cooking time, remove 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water from the pot and pour the water into a small saucepan.
-
Add the spinach and basil sauce to the saucepan with the pasta water and whisk to combine. Over medium-low heat, heat until hot but not boiling, whisking every couple of minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
-
Drain the cooked bucatini and return them to the large pot. Pour the spinach and basil sauce over the top, add the chopped burrata (it will be wonderfully sticky so scrape all the creamy goo off the cutting board and into the pot), pistachio and chilli flakes and stir with two wooden spoons to coat the noodles in the sauce. Enjoy now!
Nutrition Facts
Pasta Spinach Basil With Burrata And Chilli
Quantity per serving
Calories 361
Calories from fat 342
% daily value*
Fat 38 g58%
Saturated fat 8 g50%
Polyunsaturated fats 4g
Monounsaturated fats 22g
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 441 mg19%
Potassium 112 mg3%
Carbohydrates 4 g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 7 g14%
Vitamin A 306 IU6%
Vitamin C 7 mg8%
Soccer 166mg17%
Iron 1 mg6%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
