Spaghetti with Greens is an incredibly fast, easy, inexpensive and filling meal, and is one of our favorites. I could probably fix this every week and no one would complain. And, made with whole wheat pasta, it fits in perfectly with my eating plan. Right now I have to buy the greens (I usually buy either two bags of arugula or a bag of southern-style greens from Trader Joe’s) so it costs a little more, but when the garden’s in full swing during the summer I use the chard and kale that we grow. Although this recipe has an Italian flavor, I adapted it from a recipe I found that uses soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) and soy sauce. I’ll put the ingredients for the Asian-flavored version at the bottom. The recipe makes a LOT, but we usually don’t have any leftovers.
Spaghetti with Greens
12-16 oz. spaghetti (I use whole wheat)
12 oz. washed and chopped greens (arugula, chard, spinach, or mixed greens)
1 tsp salt
3-4 TBSP roasted garlic olive oil
1/3 – 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 TBSP toasted pine nuts
In a large pot, boil water and cook spaghetti. About 5 minutes before pasta is done, add greens gradually and push down into the pot as they wilt. Mix the greens in with the pasta as it cooks. Continue cooking the greens and spaghetti until the pasta is al dente, then drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the olive oil and toss until all the pasta and greens are well coated. Place the pasta onto a large serving platter or bowl and top with Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts. Toss the pasta, cheese and nuts at the table right before serving.
That’s it! I told you it was easy.
For the Asian version, substitute soba for the spaghetti. You can find good deals on soba at most Asian markets; the stuff at natural food stores tends to be more expensive. I can get a package with 5 bundles of soba at our local Asian supermarket for around $3.50. Prepare the soba and greens the same as the spaghetti, although soba cooks MUCH faster (be careful or it will get soggy). After draining the soba and greesn, toss with 3 TBSP soy sauce , 3 TBSP dark sesame oil, and 2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds. Again, that’s it! I usually serve the soba version with Trader Joe’s Teriyaki Barbecued Chicken (from the freezer). YUM!
