Pasta

Garlic Tomato Pasta with Spinach

A can of tomatoes, a box of pasta, and a pile of spinach. The garlic goes in the oil first so the sauce tastes like something you cooked, not like warm tomatoes on noodles. It feeds four, and it is fine cold the next day if you loosen it with a splash of water.

Prep: 10 minutesCook: 20 minutesServes: 4Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dried pasta, any shape you can toss
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 4 loosely packed cups fresh spinach
• Salt and black pepper
• Optional: a small handful of grated hard cheese, or 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

1. Put a pot of water on to boil and salt it until it tastes like the sea. Cook the pasta until it is just tender. Before you drain it, scoop out about 1 cup of the cooking water.
2. While the pasta cooks, warm the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the garlic. Stir for about 1 minute. You want the smell and a hint of color on the edges, not brown chips.
3. Pour in the tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Simmer about 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce looks a little thicker than it did from the can.
4. Add the spinach in handfuls. Stir until it wilts. If you are using frozen spinach, thaw it, squeeze out the water, and add a smaller amount.
5. Add the drained pasta and about 1/4 cup of the saved water. Toss. Add more water if the sauce is sitting on top of the noodles instead of coating them.
6. Taste. Add salt if the tomatoes still taste flat. Turn off the heat. Stir in the cheese or the butter if you are using it. Serve while it is hot.

One-pot version

Skip the separate boil if you want one pot. After the tomatoes have simmered a few minutes, add the dry pasta and about 3 cups of water, plus extra salt. Keep it at a steady simmer and stir often so the pasta does not stick, 10 to 12 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat them. Add a splash more water if it dries out. Wilt the spinach in at the end.

Baked version

For the Sunday baked pasta, cook the sauce and the pasta as written, mix them, and spread the mixture in a baking dish. Scatter a little extra cheese on top if you have it. Bake at 400°F until the top is bubbling and spotted brown, about 15 minutes. The total time is closer to 40 minutes.

Substitutions

• Spinach: kale cut in ribbons, frozen peas, or a cup of leftover broccoli.
• Crushed tomatoes: a can of diced tomatoes, simmered a few minutes longer.
• Olive oil: butter, if that is what is open.

Storage

Cool the leftovers and keep them covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water so the pasta loosens. The baked dish can be cooled, covered, and reheated the same way, or in the oven until hot.

Related: Lemon tuna pasta, Tomato chickpea skillet.