Penne with Baby Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes and Cream Cheese
This is a quick and delicious supper dish with red wine and a creamy sauce. Keep a little of the pasta water, it makes a divine creamy sauce when mixed with olive oil, cream cheese and seasoning. Finally top the dish with the tomato and spinach sauce.
YOU WILL NEED
Pasta
- 1 x 500 g good quality penne pasta
- 3 T (45 ml) olive oil or cold pressed grape seed oil
- 2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman's Pasta Spice
- 250 g cream cheese or creamed cottage cheese
Sauce
- 2 T (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium onion, cut in half and finely sliced
- ½ t (2,5 ml) Ina Paarman’s Green Onion Seasoning
- 1-½ red or green chilli, finely sliced
- 1 bunch of baby spinach, well washed
- 1 x 400 g Ina Paarman's Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce
- 1 cup cherry or baby rosa tomatoes, sliced in half
- Ina Paarman’s Garlic & Herb Seasoning
- Ina Paarman's Italian Cheese Sprinkle
Boil the pasta in water according to packet instructions. Drain when done but reserve ¾ cup of pasta water. Toss the cooked pasta with this water, olive oil, Pasta Spice and cream cheese. Keep warm.
Sauté the onion, pre-seasoned with Green Onion Seasoning, in a large pan or saucepan in the olive oil, add the chilli near the end. Add the spinach (with water still clinging to the leaves) stir-fry to mix. Add the Pasta Sauce and the cherry tomatoes and cook for only 1 – 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning, Garlic & Herb Seasoning works brilliantly here.
Dish the penne into deep soup-style plates and top with a generous coating of sauce. Sprinkle over the Italian Cheese.