In Italy and Spain alike, Rosa is pink. While I’m a man’s man, (or at least a bull moose’s bull moose) this pink sauced pasta creation is a guilty vegetarian pleasure. Spiral pasta grab the thick tomato cream sauce and bounce merrily off of bold-flavored vegetable bits, headlined by kalamata olives.
Now that you’re sold on it, let’s talk about making it.
No fancy equipment, just:
- Stirring utensil
- Deep pot for cooking pasta
- colander or other pasta draining apparatus
- Saute pan
- knife
- cutting board
It wouldn’t be food without ingredients like these:
- half a large red onion
- a red bell pepper
- 15 kalamata olives
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil or 12 leaves basil (chopped)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- olive or grapeseed oil
- 12 oz whole grain rotini pasta
- 28-oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup white wine such as pinot grigio or graves
- 3 oz spinach (2-3 handfuls)
- salt and pepper to taste
Add a small amount of oil to the pan while chopping the onion and bell pepper. Warm the pan over medium heat and add onions and peppers with a pinch of salt. The salt helps the vegetables release their juices. Add crushed red pepper, minced garlic, and oregano. Chop kalamata olives (removing pits if necessary) and add to the pan. Cook until onions become soft and translucent (about 2-3 minutes) and add wine. While wine is cooking down add tomatoes (juice and all) and lower heat. Add water to pasta pot and set on high heat (to boil it, you know) while the sauce cooks. Stir sauce occasionally, letting it cook for at least 10 minutes (20 may be even better.)
When the pasta water is boiling and the sauce has cooked for at least 10 minutes, add salt to the water if you fancy and add the pasta to the water. Stir the cream into the sauce (THE SAUCE, NOT THE WATER!). Check your pasta for a cook time. Mine said 10 minutes so I cooked it for about 8. When your pasta is about 2 minutes from being done, add the spinach, basil and black pepper to the sauce, stirring in to wilt the spinach. When the pasta is done, drain it and immediately it stir into the sauce. Don’t worry if you don’t get all the water off; a little starchy water will help bind the sauce. Cook for another minute and serve. If desired, top with flat-leaf italian parsley and Parmiggiano Reggiano (Mitica is my favorite.)
As is customary with my recipes, then you eat it. You might need help from at least 3 more people to finish it all.
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