pipe rigate alla crema verde

Another quick pasta dish for two, to cook during your weeknights. This time, it's from Gino D'Acampo's book, Gino's Pasta. It's sort of like half pasta meal, half chicken soup, 100% comfort food, 100% healthy.

It's pasta with spinach, parmesan cheese and chicken stock.

Cook the organic pasta shells until almost al-dente, but not quite, like a minute away from being al-dente. You'll have to cook it further in the soup later until al-dente.

I love the organic range from Woolies called Macro, which includes pasta to oatmeal, etc. I find that they are occasionally discounted, making them much cheaper than the San Remo non-organic pasta.

Drain and cool under running water to stop the cooking process.

For the sake of laziness, I used the same saucepan I cooked the pasta in to cook the spinach sauce / soup. Melt the butter.

Add the chopped onions and cook over a medium-low heat until translucent. But, please do not brown it.

Add the chicken stock. My chicken stock was from the frozen one I made the week before.

I waited until it melted and fully heated through. Simmer for a further 5 minutes before adding the spinach.

Add the washed green spinach, still over medium-low heat.

Stir until the spinach just wilted.

Quickly add the pasta.

Stir and heat through until pasta is al-dente. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I peppered mine quite well.

Serve while warm, with plenty of grated pecorino on top.

I feel so much healthier just by posting this recipe.

Pipe rigate alla crema verde

Adapted from Gino D'Acampo's Gino's Pasta

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• half an onion, chopped finely
• 100g spinach leaves
• 100mL chicken stock (homemade, if possible)
• 200g shell pasta (organic, if you can)
• pecorino (if you cannot find them, parmesan is also good)

Method:

1. Cook the pasta until almost al-dente, about a minute away from it. You need to cook the pasta further in the stock later on. Drain and cool under water to stop the cooking process.
2. On a medium-low heat frying pan (I used the same saucepan I cooked the pasta in), melt the butter, add the chopped onion and cook until translucent.
3. Add the stock and cook until heated through. Simmer for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and stir quickly until just wilted.
5. Return pasta to the pan and cook until pasta is al-dente.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve while warm with the plenty of grated pecorino.