Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese

I was very set on making this recipe in January. Starting February 1^st husband and I will be embarking on a “no spend month.” Since this recipe was new, and a little interesting (meaning I wasn’t sure how it would turn out) I knew that if I didn’t make it in January I would have to wait until March. My fear was that this recipe could turn out to be a dud and if it did I wanted to give us the option of ordering food as a backup plan. We wouldn’t be able to do that in February. Thankfully this turned out to be a pretty good meal.

It’s definitely a different take on an old comfort food. I love macaroni and cheese made from scratch. It’s so much creamier and not neon orange. This recipe has so many of the basic ingredients that are found in homemade macaroni and it came together rather quickly. The sauce was ready for the noodles as soon as the noodles were ready to be drained – impressive. The addition of artichokes is what had me so interested in the recipe. I’ve tried a few delicious macaroni recipes that had added a few veggies like spinach or tomatillos so I was interested in trying out artichokes. They add a nice punch of flavor that doesn’t overwhelm the entire dish. It’s a nice little addition that was very welcome.

This recipe has a very subtle flavor and I think it would be better suited as a side dish. I had never made macaroni with either of these cheeses but the flavor was good, although mellow. Of course, the brand of goat cheese you use will make a huge impact on the flavor. I like milder goat cheese and the type I used is wonderful. If you want to add a little extra flavor you could easily use cheddar instead of mozzarella, add a dash of hot sauce, add a dash of dijon or use marinated artichokes.

Enjoy!

16 oz. elbow macaroni
2 T. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 onion, diced
3 T. flour
2 cups milk
14 oz. artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
4 oz. goat cheese
Kosher salt
Pepper
½ cup panko
¼ cup Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cook macaroni according to package directions and pour into a greased 9X13 casserole dish.

While macaroni is cooking , heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft. Add garlic and sauté one or two minutes more.

Sprinkle in flour and cook about a minute while stirring. Whisk in milk and bring slowly to a simmer. Stir in artichoke hearts.

Remove from heat and add mozzarella and goat cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Pour cheese sauce over the noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan.

Bake, uncovered, 30–35 minutes, until breadcrumbs are browned.

Adapted from http://www.cozi.com/live-simply/recipes/wack-n-cheese

Updates to Slow Cooker Lasagna

I made two small changes to a Slow Cooker Lasagna and instead of just updating the recipe I felt the need to share. Wednesday night I prepped the Crock Pot with slow cooker lasagna. I would be meeting a few of my friends on Thursday night and I wouldn’t be home in time to make dinner for husband or little one. When I made my shopping list the week before I knew I had a few ingredients I could sub in and save a few dollar while not letting anything go to waste.

I still had a little salsa all’amatriciana (ok, a significant amount since husband was out of town when I made it). Instead of picking up a jar or marinara I thought I would risk it and use this as the sauce in the lasagna. Best. Choice. Ever. This sauce brought this from lasagna you make in a slow cooker to a meal that I couldn’t stop raving about. The pancetta in the sauce added such a lovely salty element to the lasagna. I couldn’t get over how much better everything tasted with this change. I may be making larger batches of salsa all’amatriciana in the future and reserving some for this recipe.

My other change was small but so yummy. I had purchased some cottage cheese for little one while husband was out of town to see if he would like it. Little one has liked everything I have fed him so far with the exception of curried chicken. He would not have anything to do with the cottage cheese.  Of course I had purchased the 4% milk fat version because babies really don’t need fat free anything. I was not going to be eating 4% milk fat cottage cheese, I’m trying to lose weight like every other American woman in January. But I didn’t throw it out. Good thing too, I used the cottage cheese instead of the ricotta the recipe calls for. During the cooking process the cheese melted and became so creamy and perfect. I’m not sure husband is even aware that he ate cottage cheese. Well, he is now.

The recipe has now been updated with these changes as possible substitutions. Give them a try! Make that slow cooker work for you. I Can’t express what a life saver they can be.

Spicy Korean Chicken

I love this recipe and I have a million reasons why but for some reason I can’t put the words together. Instead, here is a short list of why I love this recipe and why I should be cooking it much more often than I do:

· It’s easy to make
· I usually always have the ingredients on hand
· It’s oh so yummy
· Husband likes it – I do too!
· It’s spicy, but not too spicy
· I can usually prep the chicken and get it in the oven in about five minutes
· So much better for you and cheaper than take out Chinese (yes I am aware the name says Korean)

I usually serve this on top of rice (white or brown) with a veggie. The only problem we have with the recipe is that it is very rare that there is enough for lunch the next day. Husband and I always go back for seconds. Knowing this, in the future I should really try to double this recipe.

Enjoy!

¼ cup flour
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. honey
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
4 chicken breasts (6 oz. each)

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

Put the flour in a shallow dish.

In the roasting pan, mix together the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic powder and crushed red pepper.

Roll each chicken breast in flour. Shake off excess flour and place in the roasting pan, turning to coat with the honey mixture.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the chicken in cooked through.

Adapted from Low-Calorie Cookbook - American Heart Association

Rustic Stuffed Potatoes

When the weather turns cold and snowy comfort food always sounds best. This recipe has become a comfort food staple over the past few years. The ingredients are simple and are usually on hand. Best of all, this recipe has potatoes in it! I am a HUGE fan of potatoes. My college roommate used to say that she never saw anyone eat as many potatoes as me. Miss you Na-Na!

Thankfully, this is a comfort food that is relatively low cal. At least it better be since I found it in the AHA Low-Calorie cookbook. Leftover backed or rotisserie chicken works well in this recipe. The original recipe calls for red potatoes but I typically use russets since that is what I normally have on hand. Almost any barbeque sauce will work but I would NOT recommend using the one in the picture. It was not yummy or barbeque-y at all. I was so disappointed. If you out of potatoes but have a few buns on hand, this makes a lovely barbeque chicken sandwich.

Enjoy!

4 potatoes (about 6 oz. each)

½ cup barbeque sauce
1 T. cider vinegar
¼ tsp. cayenne
12 oz. chicken breast
2 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Pierce potatoes with a fork several times and on high until tender, about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl mix together the barbeque sauce, vinegar and cayenne.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. In a sauté pan, cook the chicken over medium heat until it is no longer pink on the outside. Add barbeque sauce mixture and cook over high heat for about two minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and the chicken in no longer pink in the middle.

Cut the potatoes in half and fluff with a fork. Spoon chicken mixture over the potatoes and top with cheddar cheese.

Adapted from Low-Calorie Cookbook – American Heart Association

Chicken Jambalaya

When husband comes home from a business trip I love to prepare a few of his favorite foods. By the time he gets home I’m usually dying to go out to eat but after two weeks of nothing but restaurant meals I know he just really wants a home cooked meal. Oh, the things we do for love.

I’ve been tinkering around with this recipe for a few years. I’ve added, omitted and just down right changed some of the ingredients. I found the original to lack flavor and sometimes I feel that even with my changes it still does. It’s a work in progress in our house but a yummy one.

The original recipe called for a whole chicken that was uncooked. I didn’t want to devote the time to breaking down and cooking a whole chicken. Rotisserie chickens work perfectly in the recipe. If you like to make your own stock be sure to save the carcass after you get the meat off! I decreased the amount of fat, added some zucchini (because I have a ton of it in the freezer) changed the water to chicken stock and tomato puree and added extra meat by doubling the amount of sausage.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different sausages, increase the number of veggies and experiment with seasonings. Sometimes a dash or two of hot sauce can make a big difference. This recipe comes together quickly and is a wonderful one pot meal.

Enjoy!

Whole rotisserie chicken

1 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 green pepper, diced
1 zucchini, grated
½ cup celery, diced
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup tomato puree
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. thyme
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
14 oz. beef kielbasa, diced
 
Skin, debone and chop rotisserie chicken. Set aside.

Melt butter in a large pot with a tight fitting lid. Sauté onion tomatoes, pepper, zucchini and celery until vegetable are soft, about five minutes. Add rice and stir until the rice is well coated in the butter. Add chicken, chicken stock, tomato puree and spices. Simmer until rice is tender about 15 minutes.  Add kielbasa and warm through.

If your jambalaya has too much liquid, simmer for a bit longer or place in a 350 over for 10-15 minutes to dry out.

Adapted from Joy of Cooking – Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker

Dragon's Breath Chili

A few months ago husband, little one and I visited husband’s MN parents. My father in law made this incredible chili. He lovingly roasted the peppers, browned the meats and mixed all the ingredients together. It really is a joy to watch him cook. The smell coming from the kitchen was intoxicating. Thank goodness the kitchen and the family room are open to each other or else I would have never left the kitchen. When it was time to eat, we all devoured the chili. The flavors were amazing. There was a good amount of heat but it came slowly. No doubt about it, this was hands down one of the best chilies I have EVER eaten.

After thinking about this chili for weeks I finally took it upon myself to look up the recipe. I was quite shocked by the number of ingredients listed. It seemed like the ingredient list when on for miles. Four different types of peppers, three different meats and nine ingredients from the spice cabinet not to mention everything else on the list. I let the recipe sit for a while. This was not a recipe I could just make for dinner one night, I needed an occasion.

After looking at the recipe on my fridge for a few more weeks I caved and shared it with my dad. My dad is a big chili fan and I knew he would be on board with making a batch. We agreed on a Saturday afternoon while little one was napping to make our chili. We would make it on Saturday, let the flavors meld overnight and enjoy our creation the next day.

Dad came over with one of his pots for making beer as I didn’t have a pot big enough for all this goodness. I very large stock pot in now on my wish list for next Christmas. We chopped, roasted, mixed, measured and no time at all our chili was bubbling away. For all the ingredients listed it doesn’t take as long to prep as I had imagined, then again there were two of us. Do give yourself time to chop all of those peppers and onions as I think it was the most time consuming part of the process. Do not be afraid to half the recipe!

Enjoy!

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 jalapenos, minced
3 Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, chopped
3 poblano chilies, roasted, peeled, chopped
2 yellow onions, diced
¼ cup garlic, minced
1 pound boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into ¼ inch cubes
2 pounds ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
2 tsp. granulated onion
2 tsp. granulated garlic
3 T. chili powder
2 tsp. hot paprika
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup tomato paste
12 oz. lager beer
1 cup chicken stock
30 oz. pinto beans, with juice
30 oz. kidney beans, with juice
 
In large stock pot over high heat, add butter and canola oil. Add bell pepper, jalapeno, chilies and onion and cook until caramelized, about five minutes. Add garlic and sauté a minute longer. Add chuck and brown. Add ground beef and sausage to brown and stir gently, trying not to break up the ground beef too much. Cook until meat is nicely browned and cooked through, about seven to ten minutes.

Add in granulated onions, granulated garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for one minute. Add in tomato sauce and paste and stir for two minutes. Stir in beer and chicken stock. Add beans, lower heat and simmer for two hours.

Serve in bowls and garnish with saltine crackers, green onions and shredded cheddar.

Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/dragons-breath-chili-recipe/index.html

Hearts of Romaine and Vinaigrette

This really isn’t a recipe, more of an idea that I just had to share. When I was home sick last week I had the TV on in the background as I was falling asleep. The Today Show was on and they had a guest who was giving ideas for healthy snacks. This little snack caught my attention and I haven’t been able to get it off my mind. This morning while I was getting ready for work I decided to take this snack to work and try it out.

What makes this snack amazing? Well first off, it tastes so good. The other amazing things: it’s easy, you probably already have everything you need on hand, it’s portable, and it’s healthy. Basically, it’s a salad without the fork and plate.

So here is what you do. Put some vinaigrette dressing in a jar. Throw some hearts of romaine in a container. Go on your merry way. When it’s time to eat just shake up your dressing, dip your romaine leaves and munch away. Hearts of romaine work so well in this because you can dip them and they hold their shape so well.

I didn’t have any vinaigrette dressing so I had to whip some up quickly. I didn’t measure anything but that is the beauty of vinaigrette! The ingredients can change but as long as you have the basic formula down you will be just fine. Speaking of basic formulas, check out the book Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman. This book is amazing and oh so handy to have in the kitchen. It is a fantasic reference but also a really good read.

Enjoy!

Snacks in the cube

A little Dijon
A good amount of balsamic vinegar
A few tablespoons of olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
A little honey
A few tablespoons of water

Salsa All'amatricina

There are times when all I want for dinner is pasta in a simple red sauce. Basic, comforting, warming food. This sauce completely fits. I found this several years ago in one of my favorite cookbooks and I was seduced by the simplicity of the ingredients. Ok, I was seduced by the pancetta. We don’t have a deli or butcher shop where I can find pancetta in any other form than packets of thinly sliced meat. Fellow residents of my lovely town, please let me know if I am misinformed on that! So instead of the nicely diced hunks for meat that would normally grace this sauce I make do with what is available and it works.

I typically have all the ingredients for this sauce on hand except for the pancetta. Pancetta hardly ever goes on sale, and it is a bit on the pricy side for the amount of meat you can get, but it is so very very worth it. This sauce takes about half an hour to prepare. Serve it over any type of pasta you have on hand. I’ve used everything from fettuccini to cavatappi with successful results. When I want to get a little wild I’ve been known to serve this topped with feta.

Enjoy!

2 T. olive oil

6 oz. pancetta or slab bacon, diced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
28 oz. tomato puree
½ tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add the pancetta and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato puree, and cook uncovered over medium low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Everyday Italian – Giada De Laurentiis

Pasta Salad with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

I think it’s always good idea to have a pasta salad recipe in your back pocket. This recipe has been in our rotation for the past few years. I typically make it during the summer but since it is easy and I’m playing “business trip widow” this week I decided to add it to the rotation.

For the longest time I stuck to the original recipe. I was too afraid to really make it my own. Then one day I had some ingredients that were sitting in my fridge that needed to be used up. I decided to throw them in to jazz up the pasta. From that day on I have become a bit more adventurous. The dressing lends itself well to so many flavor combinations. The balsamic in the dressing does cry out for a savory balance of flavors but I high encourage trying out whatever you have on hand.

Original recipe suggested additions:

2 small zucchini, grated or cut into ½ in thick slices
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Red or yellow bell pepper, diced
¼ cup red onion, diced
 
Last night’s additions:
6 oz. flaked tuna
Red pepper, diced

My usual additions (I usually double the recipe):

3-4 oz. Feta cheese
8 oz. summer sausage
Yellow bell pepper, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered and served on the side

Enjoy!

8 oz. rotini
6 oz. plain yogurt
1 tsp. basil
2 tsp. dill
2 T. balsamic
1 T. lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
 
In a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, basil, dill, balsamic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
 
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to the bowl with the yogurt mixture. Add any additions. Gently mix all ingredients together.

Chill for at least an hour and serve.

Adapted from The American Heart Association Low Calorie Cookbook

Naked Tomato Sauce

I was spending some time the other day organizing photos. I have so many places to put photos (shutterfly, files on the laptop, facebook, here) that it’s not always easy to stay on top of them all. I still have some photos from our big trip this summer than need to be uploaded to shutterfly and then I should be organized! While I was cleaning out my bloggie I came across a photo that I was pretty sure I hadn’t done a blog post for. I apologize for that but it was a blessing in disguise. Husband has been out of town on business and I have been home sick. It’s very rare for me to be sick enough where I will go home from work. I just haven’t been in the mood to cook.

When husband is gone it takes longer to get through our leftovers so I find myself cooking less often. This really is a shame since I started sharing my menu calendar (up there in the tabs) and my best intentions haven’t been followed through. I’ve also fallen behind on the daily organizing of the house. Urgh. Oh well, I’ll just keep chugging along. Besides, I found a recipe to share!

My guess is that I made this back in September or October. The tomatoes were fresh from my garden. Since I made this recipe so long ago I’m not sure if I made any changes to fit our family’s tastes so I have left the recipe below untouched. It looks crazy involved, but if I remember correctly it was very easy. Well, easy for those of us who have peeled tomatoes before. Peeling tomatoes sounds like it could be a ton of work if you have never done it before but I find it fun. Yes, my ideas of fun can be a little skewed.

Enjoy!

The recipe below will make a thin coating for the amount of pasta listed. If you prefer a heavier sauce-to-noodle ratio, you’ll want to adjust the recipe accordingly.

Makes 4 portions, on the small side

3 lb. plum tomatoes
¾ tsp. coarse salt
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Small handful basil leaves, most left whole, a few slivered for garnish
¼ cup olive oil
12 oz. dried spaghetti
1 T. unsalted butter, or maybe two if nobody is looking

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut a small X at the bottom of each tomato. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 10 to 30 seconds, then either rinse under cold water or shock in an ice water bath. Peeling the tomatoes should now be a cinch. Discard the skins. Keep the pot full of hot water — you can use it to cook your spaghetti in a bit.

Cut each of your tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with your fingertips into a small strainer set over a bowl. Ditch the seeds, reserve the juices.

Add tomatoes and salt to a large saucepan (you’ll be adding the pasta to this later, so err on the big side) and turn the heat to medium-high. There are several ways to break the tomatoes down (with your hands, chopping, an immersion blender that I don’t think Italian Grandmothers would approve of but don’t worry, they’re not in the kitchen with you anyway) but I loved Conant’s suggestion of a potato masher, as it gives you the maximum control over how chunky, smooth you want your sauce.

Once the sauce has begun to boil, turn your heat down to medium-low and gently simmer your tomatoes for 35 to 45 minutes, mashing them more if needed. If they begin to look a little dry, add your strained and reserved tomato juices.

While the tomato sauce cooks, combine garlic, a few whole basil leaves, a pinch of red pepper flakes and ¼ cup olive oil in a small saucepan. Heat them slowly, over the lowest heat so that they take a long time to come to a simmer. Once it does, immediately remove it from the heat and strain the oil into a small dish. You’ll need it shortly.

When the tomato sauce has been simmering for about 25 minutes, bring your tomato-blanching pot of water back to a boil with a healthy helping of salt. Once boiling rapidly, cook your spaghetti until it is al dente, i.e. it could use another minute of cooking time. Reserve a half-cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest.

Once your sauce is cooked to the consistency you like, stir in the reserved olive oil and adjust seasonings to taste. Add drained spaghetti and half the reserved pasta water to the simmering tomato sauce and cook them together for another minute or two. Add remaining pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Stir in the butter, if using, and serve immediately with slivered basil for garnish. We found that sauce this good, this simple and rich, needs no grated cheese.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/08/naked-tomato-sauce/

Pannkakku - Finnish Oven Pancakes

It's a little chilly in Finland in November!

In 2008 husband took a business trip to Helsinki, Finland. Since he was gone over Thanksgiving, he cashed in some of his frequent flyer miles and got a ticket for me to spend Thanksgiving with him. This was one of my more memorable Thanksgivings.  It was my first time flying internationally by myself (such a long flight) and the first time I had to navigate my way from the airport to a hotel in a country where I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the language. That cab ride was so interesting. The Finnish language is filled with double consonants so looking out the cab’s windows at all the signs was almost dreamlike.  Thankfully, every person I encountered was very kind and spoke English so I didn’t have any problems getting to where I needed to go.

Finnish cuisine isn’t so different from the traditional food found in our area of the country. Lots of meat, potatoes, pickled vegetables and yummy breads. Husband has stayed close with a few of his coworkers in Finland and each year at Christmas they send us some of the ingredients we need to make glogi (a to-die for boozy warm drink) and a box of chocolates. Like I said, these people are amazingly kind!

Fill my plate with pannkakku mama!

The other day I stumbled across a recipe for Finnish pancakes. I easily get stuck in breakfast food ruts and this looked like just the recipe to add a little variety into the weekend. The ingredients are all simple and are things that we always have on hand.  What really got me excited was that this recipe can work as a sweet food or a savory food. I tried out the sweet version and I was very happy with it. For the savory version leave out the sugar and vanilla. And if you have a little free time while your pancake is baking, be sure to turn the oven light on and watch the pancake rise. Once the pancake has been in the oven for about five minutes you can actually see it rise. The edges go first then the middle. Little one thought it was hilarious that I sat on the floor in from of the oven and kept bringing me toys so I would play with him.

Enjoy!

4 T butter

4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 pinch salt
4 T sugar
Splash of vanilla
 
Heat oven to 400. Place butter in a 8in cake pan and place in oven until melted but not browned.

In a blender, mix remaining ingredients on high until smooth. Pour mixture in the hot cake pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pancake has puffed and is a deep golden color.

Cut immediately and serve.

Sweet toppings (sugar and vanilla added):

Powdered sugar and lemon juice
Berries
Brown sugar
Maple syrup
Jam
Whipped cream
Cooked apples

Savory toppings (no sugar or vanilla):

Sausage gravy
Beef or venison stew
Gravy

*I found this recipe on pinterest. I forgot to grab the link for the blog it came from. If I run across it again I will be sure to share.

Arrabbiatta Sauce

I’ve been very anxious to try out a new recipe this week. Since husband and I were both back at work full time after the holiday break I decided to stick with a few tried and true favorites before attempting something new. Since this recipe called for fresh spinach I knew I should go ahead and make it before the spinach went bad. I hate the thought of throwing out food and I do what I can to avoid it. If I had known this recipe would be so easy I would have made it sooner.

The sauce has a wonderful depth of flavor. There are three different heat sources which I think makes this sauce quite tasty. I had a difficult time finding zesty diced tomatoes but I did find some that had green chilies in them. I was nervous that the sauce might end up tasting a little to “south of the boarder” but this didn’t end up being the case.

This is a very yummy meatless meal. I really enjoyed adding the fresh spinach to the sauce as this was a new addition for me. The sauce didn’t end up tasting too “spinachy” and it was packed with veggies. I’m always looking for a way to sneak some extra veggies in our diet. I gave the diced tomatoes an extra pulse in the blender only because I don’t enjoy chunky tomatoes. The original recipe called for orecchiette pasta but I couldn’t find any at the two grocery stores I frequent. Instead I used my favorite fun shaped pasta, campanelle. This cute little trumpet shaped pasta is a fun addition to any sauce or salad. Use any type of pasta you would like for this sauce. Bowties, rotini, and penne would all hold this sauce quite well.

Enjoy!

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. water
20 oz. zesty diced tomatoes
8 oz. tomato sauce
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
½ tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 lb. pasta
5 oz. baby spinach
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat oil in medium size saucepan. Add onion and sauté for five minutes. Add garlic and water and cook for an addition two minutes.

Stir diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, red-pepper flakes, oregano and ground red pepper into saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Slice spinach into ribbons and add to sauce. Cook the sauce for an additional five minutes or until spinach is wilted and bright green, about five minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 
Drain pasta and toss with prepared sauce. Transfer to large serving bowl and serve with parmesan cheese.

Adapted from http://www.recipe.com/orecchiette-arrabbiata/