June 8, 2013

Thin Spaghetti with Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms



Hey Guys!

Unfortunately, my photo editor is currently down and so these pretty pasta pics have no pretty font name to go along with them.  But I hope to describe this dish so wonderfully that you won't leave this page and say, "Hey Dana, why is there no pretty font name for this amazing pasta dish and I also can't seem to pick my jaw up from my keyboard".  "Thanks, biotch."   I apologize in advance , loves.


Can I make it up to you?? I may have your Sunday dinner for tonight!  If you do that kind of thing. I have yet another confession to make.  I feel it's time to tell you about my obsession with...PASTA! Yep.  I think about it often, and I even dream about it sometimes.  Food dreams are the best...until you wake up famished and have no clue what to eat. Or maybe that's just me. I love how it's so versatile and I'm such a nerd when it comes to all of the different and wonderful shapes it comes in!  Bow tie and spiral and orzo, oh my!  My inner dork has officially come out on this here blog.



I think at first glance, you'll think this is a linguini and clams pasta dish with some green crap on top.  I know, it totally resembles it, right?  I love me some linguini and clams in a white wine sauce. Holy yum!   I hear ya. It's the diced mushrooms that look like clams, isn't it?  Mmm hm.  Agreed.  But this dish is not even close to that dish.  Both are equally scrumptious. But this pasta dish is really just one simple word; wow. Yes, wow. 

See for yourself.  Or smell it.  Oh do I wish this had smell-o-vision.  It smelled insanely good and tasted even better!


The sauteed spinach cooked down with the mushrooms and fresh garlic tastes out of this world.  Then soak all that and the pasta in the Greek yogurt sauce and it's really something beautiful!   I know I've recently made just about everything with Greek yogurt, but I just love it and it's such a great substitute for almost anything!  Not like it's a huge matter, but I have not touched real sour cream in a long time. I just dollop some Greek yogurt and I'm all set.



Promise to try this? Add some fresh bread to it to soak up all that juice.  I don't really eat bread with pasta, but trust me, I hear ya. And especially for this dish and the sauce, you'll need a piece to act as a mop.  Or something of the like.




Thin Spaghetti with Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms


Ingredients:

-1 lb/box of thin spaghetti or angel hair
-2-3 good handfuls of fresh spinach
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-About 15 large mushrooms, roughly chopped
-1 tbsp lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon
-1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
-1/2 cup chicken broth {reduced sodium if you like and/or veggie broth is great, too. I only had chicken broth on hand}.
-1/2 cup whole milk or 2%
-1-2 tbsp of shredded Parmesan cheese
-1-2 tbsp olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste

Method:

- Cook your pasta in some salted water according to the package contents. Drain and set aside.

- In a large sauce pan, cook down the spinach leaves in some olive oil, {spinach wilts down fast}, sprinkle some salt and pepper and then add in your chopped mushrooms and minced garlic.  Saute for a good 5-6 minutes until the mushrooms and garlic are lightly browned. It will smell fantastic!

- Next, add all of your wet ingredients and reduce down over medium-high heat for at least ten minutes checking periodically/stirring.  *Note* the sauce is supposed to remain thin/watery. I hate to use the word watery, but that's the best way to describe the 'juice.'  It's not meant to be a thick and creamy sauce. Still reduce it down enough to the boiling point , stir, take off heat.

- Transfer the pasta from the strainer back to the pot it was cooked in, pour the sauce over the pasta and stir well.  Top with shredded Parmesan cheese and more lemon juice/zest.  Take it alllll in; it's simply divine!  I highly recommend taking a big whiff of this dish before digging in!  The nose will do a happy dance , plus, for us ladies, you get a great 1-minute facial.




I hope you love it as much as I did!

How has your weekend been so far? 
 Ours was nice and relaxing, but we did a few things that needed to get done, as always.  We even fit in a 1 hour bike ride!!  It was so fun and I hope we keep up with using the bikes; love it!  I finished all the laundry last night { I know, so glamorous}, and even cooked a decent amount.  That's a great weekend in my book!


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