creamy tomato pasta

Here's another very loose recipe. As usual, this is just a kind of guide... the point is to make this your own! Add your favorite flavors and vegetables to the sauce. I usually make the sauce with cherry tomatoes, especially ones that might be a little older and starting to get soft but you can also use big chunks of larger tomatoes. This pasta is super delicious and not too heavy. Keep reading below the recipe for some variations and ways to make it your own.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb dry penne pasta

2 cups of spinach

1 pint cherry tomatoes

3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk (I used oat)

4 cloves of garlic

1 Tbsp oil

Fresh herbs- I used thai basil cuz that’s all I have growing right now

Salt & Pep + seasonings of your choice

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. 

2. Add your tomatoes, whole garlic cloves and olive oil to a bowl and mix to coat. Season with salt & pepper and spread on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

3. Toss all the contents from the sheet pan into a blender with your plant milk along with whatever seasoning you like. I add red pepper flakes, garlic powder plus some salt & pepper to taste. Blend together until creamy. 

4. Boil pasta and when it's almost fully cooked, toss in your spinach to wilt. Drain and return back to the pan. 

5. Heat pasta, spinach and sauce on low and stir until everything is coated and creamy. Add fresh herbs and serve! 

VARIATIONS

So this pasta sauce is super easy and delicious but what I love the most is how versatile this dish is. Experiment with different shaped pastas, even fresh. Add as many different herbs as you like or some nutritional yeast for a more cheesy vibe. If you want the dish to be a little more hearty you can toss in some cooked beans. I also really love to switch up the vegetables. Usually I keep it super simple with wilted greens. My other favorite way to eat it is with caramelized onions, zucchini and mushrooms. It reminds me of a dish I used to eat as a kid called Penne Boscaiola... woodman's style pasta.