Every once in a while I read an article that excites me from the very first phrase. This essay on the state of restaurant dishes, from the latest issue of Bon Appetit, is one such piece. It expresses the sense of frustration I sometimes feel when we visit a nice restaurant and have a hard time finding a meal that’s not overly rich. And that includes the salads! 😉 These days the safest option for a meal out – if we want to still feel great 4 hours later – is a Japanese restaurant. But, enough complaining, this pasta typifies the cooking we like the most. Light in fat, full of flavor, and quick to put together!
WHOLE-WHEAT PASTA WITH LEMONY TOMATOES AND SPINACH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
Whole-wheat spaghetti (enough for two people)
1 cup red grape tomatoes
1 cup yellow grape tomatoes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
zest and juice of 1 lemon
big bunch of baby spinach, coarsely chopped
Cut each tomato in half, place in a large bowl and add the olive oil, shaking the bowl to uniformly coat the tomatoes. Spread them in a large baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and roast at 420F for 25-30 minutes, until their skin starts to develop a brown color, and they release liquid. Reserve.
Boil salted water to cook the pasta. When the pasta is almost ready, transfer the roasted tomatoes to a sautée pan on medium-high heat, making sure to include all the liquid released during roasting. Add the spinach, squeeze the juice of the lemon all over, and cover the pan until the spinach starts to wilt.
Reserve some of the pasta cooking liquid, drain the pasta, and add it to the spinach and tomato mixture. Cook everything together for a couple of minutes, if needed add some of the pasta cooking water. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and right before serving add a very generous amount of lemon zest all over it.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: We absolutely loved this pasta! The lemon zest is a key ingredient, don’t skip it. You’ll notice I didn’t add any garlic, onions, or herbs. This dish is all about the tomatoes and spinach, with the intense citric tone in the background. Phil and I were talking the other day about how we prefer food prepared in a simpler way. Of course, if I’m making a curry I will need to grab a good number of spices, it’s part of the deal… But, we find something pleasing about allowing the ingredients to shine, rather than the spices. In this case, to savor the tomatoes, the spinach and the pasta itself.
This dish was simultaneously satisfying and light. Next day it made for a wonderful lunch, and I even confess to eating it cold from the refrigerator… Impromptu Pasta Salad!
ONE YEAR AGO: Blood Orange Duck: A work in progress
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THREE YEARS AGO: Memories of Pasteis (and my Dad)
Bewitching Kitchen 
There’s so much to like about this dish, Sally. Roasting the cherry tomatoes is such a nice touch, as is the addition of the baby spinach. And adding a squeeze of lemon and a bit of zest is a sure fire way of brightening up the dish. With such great flavors, less is definitely more. Your tasty pasta is proof.
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The tomatoes release a wonderful liquid, full of flavor… loved this dish, John…
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Great article from Bon Appetit, I subscribe to the magazine and had read it. Good that you found it online to post. I read it for my husband, and he completely agree too. We have to eat out often for work-related activitites and it we feel the same way.
your pasta turned out beautiful, love the photo!
HOpe you are having a nice week, Sally – sorry about the sadness you and Phil have to go through
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Sonya, when we travel and have to eat out several days in a row, I cannot WAIT to come back home and resume our normal eating. We feel so much better!
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That dish is not only beautiful to look at but the ingredients in the list are also wonderful! My kind of food.
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My Mom could not make me eat spinach until I was about 22 years old… what was I thinking? 😉
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Those roasted tomatoes sound delicious – I think i’m making this one night this week!
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Hope you try it… especially since your husband is not around, you can have all the spinach you love! 😉
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HaHa – my husband actually eats spinach – especially in a salad but I sneak it into all sorts of stuff and he consumes!
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I loved that article also! And it’s so funny you say that about japanese restaurants because honestly…the only time I ever eat out with any frequency is to sushi places. 🙂
Love the sound of this pasta. Bursting with flavor but without overdoing it on the calories!!
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We have our regular night out for sushi once a week – sometimes take out, but usually we go the sushi place. Always great!
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Wonderfully light and fresh – simplicity at its best!
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Everything worked pretty well in this dish, and using whole wheat pasta makes it even better. Cannot beat the texture….
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The lemon sounds so great in this! I love how lemon brightens up every other flavor. This looks like a perfect mix of ingredients.
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Lisa, we never EVER run out of lemons – and limes – in this house. I cannot cook without them. Total addict 😉
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Sally, I actually dreamt about pasta with cherry tomatoes last night – good gracious sister, this blog-epathy is something else! Wonderful addition with the lovely lemon and isn’t wilted spinach the best? (I sneak it into so many dishes and lately into quesadillas…mmm…). Can’t wait to see what I dream about tonight ;-).
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Oh, that is TOO GOOD! It happens to us quite a bit, this blog-epathy (loved the term!)
hummmmm… the quesadilla with spinach is a strike of genius!
Hope you will have wonderful dreams, and then cook them – and blog about them! 😉
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What a lovely healthy, flavorful, and eye-appealing dish.
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Turned out excellent, indeed…
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it looks delicious and so flavorful. i love lemon with spinach. such a great combination
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Spinach is a wonderful green, I went through a serious kale phase, but now spinach is calling my name… I work in cycles, I guess 😉
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I couldn’t agree with you more Sally! We are often so frustrated after we eat out. The only food we really enjoy eating out is sushi. Otherwise, we find much more enjoyment out of the simple things we make at home. Lemon, tomatoes, and spinach are great flavors for a pasta dish. I would absolutely love this one! 🙂
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That makes at least three of us here! Sushi rocks….
I doubt I’ll ever try to make it at home from scratch, but we have actually a nice place for sushi here. And in Norman we had two fantastic sushi places, plus another one in Oklahoma City we were very fond of.
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This looks delicious, I love whole wheat pasta and spinach so this is defiitely a ‘must make’!
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Whole wheat pasta is the kind of stuff the more you have, the more you become fond of it… I now prefer it over regular pasta, that feels too mushy for me
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I have to admit to being someone who is addicted to spices and they do indeed overpower other ingredients. I am trying to cut down on that and enjoy recipes like this wonderful one you shared today that allows simple ingredients to shine.
Bookmarked to try soon Sally
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Sawsan, you are such an amazing cook, don’t even think about changing your ways! I doubt you over-season anything! 😉
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I totally agree with you, Sally! I have the latest issue, but it’s still under wraps until I get the chance to read it. We’ve found the same problem here with tons of salt on everything, almost beyond palatable.. I’m not sure why they think that’s a good plan, when the food itself it the best part. I love the look of this dish, we have some gluten-free pasta that is quite “sturdy”, much like whole wheat.. so I’ll remember this one! xx
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Too much salt, too much garlic, way too much fat, too much sauce, and the list goes on and on and on. We went to an Italian restaurant for dinner yesterday with a seminar speaker, and I can STILL taste some garlic lingering… you could scare a full population of vampires off Manhattan, Kansas with the pesto on my chicken.
🙂
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A delicious dish! Whole wheat pasta are so tasty and that vegetable combination is really wonderful.
Cheers,
Rosa
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Thanks, Rosa!
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I could eat this every day!
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I love simple pasta dishes. This looks wonderful.
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