When I’m working on the set of Blue Bloods, rarely can I eat what Kraft services or catering has to offer because of all my extreme allergies. And while the show is only an hour on TV the amount of hours and days and nights that go in to creating the show is a whole other beast… The days are long and nights can be longer. Although Krafty always tries to have something for me, I’d rather be safe by preparing my own food. So I really have to prep for these work days and bring plenty of food to set to keep me going and my energy high. We all probably find ourselves in situations where we need something quick and easy but still want it to taste good while filling us with nutrients to get us through!
So! Whether it be for a quick dinner or a light snack I love making this pasta dish!! It’s low in fat and cholesterol, loaded with fiber and iron from the cannelloni beans, and rich in antioxidants and calcium (along with tons of vitamins such as C, E, folate, omega-3 fatty acids…!) from the spinach. This dish is so low maintenance – it literally takes one pot to prepare, has very few ingredients, and is simple to make! It’s so good and easy that I always keep the ingredients stocked in my pantry. I will make it for dinner one night and keep the left overs for work the next day or two. And while it tastes just as good at room temperature, it reheats very nicely. I personally like to add a bit of water when reheating to reignite the starches and then becomes really thick, almost like there is cream in it! Add a bit more olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and there you go!
A great quick healthy 4 ingredient snack or meal!
Pasta with Beans and Spinach
Ingredients:
1 bag of gluten free pasta (my favorite is Tinkyada!)
2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
Small handful of fresh parsley chopped
1 can cannelloni beans
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. When water is bubbling pour in one bag of pasta and turn down heat to medium for slow boil.
3. In the meantime drain beans and rinse.
4. Rinse spinach, pat dry with paper towel and set aside.
5. Check pasta often. Should be firm yet easy to chew (check package for directions).
6. When done drain pasta and rinse lightly with lukewarm water. Leave pasta in strainer.
7. Using the same pot the pasta was cooked in add about a half cup of olive oil and the beans and cook on high heat.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring.
9. Throw in parsley and stir together. Do this for about 3 minutes on high heat.
10. Turn down heat to medium and add pasta. Stir to combine.
11. Finally add spinach, stir again to incorporate all the flavors!! Cook another 2 minutes. Remove from stove, add more salt and pepper if like, or even some red pepper flakes for some heat!!! And ENJOY!!!
Ever Onward~
Jennifer
FOLLOW
Jennifer, you rock!! I love your quick ten minute recipes! Post as many as you can, please!! I recently discovered the Tinkyada brand of gluten-free pasta, and I have to say that I am very impressed with the penne pasta the very most compared to the shells or the macaroni style cut of the Tinkyada brand.
I have some questions:
1) What is the purpose of adding salt to the water when cooking pasta? Does it keep the pasta from becoming mushy?
2) I have heard of olive oil being added to water when boiling pasta to keep the pasta from sticking to each other, do you ever use this practice?
3) What is the amount of time do you recommend cooking the penne style pasta of the Tinkyada brand? I know from experience the shells and macaroni style cook in minutes, but the penne takes longer. How long do you cook it for to have that medium firmness and texture?
4) Have you ever heard of from a friend or a doctor that sleeping on ones stomach may cause abdominal pain? Either for the very first meal after waking up (breakfast) or during the day at any given time? Have you ever heard that this may be a cause of stomach pain after eating a meal regardless how healthy this meal may be?
If possible, please post as many quick ten minute meals as possible that do not include any meat as well. There are days that my stomach cannot handle protein from meat sources, and the vegetable sources are the answer to those days I have those difficulties.
Also, I really love your lunch containers. They are neat, orderly and portion controlled –great for us guys who still have to learn to adjust from our years of playing football or other heavy contact sports during our school years. I can hardly wait for mine to arrive. People who are packing their own meals to their place of work is becoming more popular now, as people are now realizing that cooking from scratch is the very best way to maintain and nurture our overall physical wellness.
Once again, Jennifer, great work and thank you very much for posting this ten minute recipe.