Dinner Together: Pasta with Creamy Spinach and Red Pepper Sauce
This is a good dinner for anyone looking for a quick vegan recipe. If your kids don't like the idea of tofu, they won't know it's hidden in the sauce.
If they don't like the spinach as pictured, you can add some of the spinach to the sauce as you're making it, too. Just make sure you do that in small batches, because too much can make the sauce brownish-green instead of creamy red.
(Click below for the recipe. ...)
(Photo by me)
Pasta with Creamy Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Serves 4
10 ounces dried whole-wheat pasta, any shape
12 cups (two 10-ounce packages) fresh baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
1 ½ pounds firm silken tofu
One 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers with garlic
¾ teaspoon salt
2 heaping tablespoons small capers, drained
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.
Meanwhile, put spinach in a large, deep skillet or saucepan (cook in batches if necessary) with 2 tablespoons water. Stir over medium-high heat until wilted. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, or until tender. Remove pan from heat.
Combine tofu, peppers and salt in food processor or blender; process until smooth and creamy. Drain spinach, gently pressing out any excess liquid. Combine tofu mixture and spinach in pan, stirring to blend. Cook over low heat, stirring often to heat through; do not let boil.
Drain pasta and place on serving plates. Top with spinach mixture, and sprinkle with capers. Serve immediately.
--Recipe and analysis from “Vegetarian Times Fast and Easy,” by the editors of Vegetarian Times
Per serving: 370 calories, 26 grams protein, 3 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 65 grams carbohydrate, 13 grams fiber, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 1,130 milligrams sodium
Comments
Well, how about Leah and Sam? I'm sure they loved it because they are open minded children willing to try new foods without reservations of any sort! You should have a kid-o-meter at the end of the recipe. LOL!
Do you want to see a kid-o-meter eternally stuck on thumbs-down? This was another one that they didn't really eat. I figure you'd all be bored hearing the same thing week after week. And I'm hoping your kids are not as far gone as mine....
Posted by: Susan K | May 7, 2008 9:21 AM
As an excuse to vie for the 500th post prize, I'm puzzled as to why one would want to throw capers on a kid-friendly recipe. Most adults I know find capers revolting...let alone children.
Thanks for bringing that up; I should have mentioned that I left them off, too! They're optional.
Posted by: Robin | May 7, 2008 11:38 AM
What whole wheat pasta brands do you think taste the best?
That's a good idea for a future Taste Test Kitchen feature. I wish I could remember the brand of the fusilli I used for this recipe; at the time, I was thinking more about what pasta shape my kids would find the most fun. If I can hunt down the box, I will report back.
Posted by: Annelies | May 7, 2008 1:25 PM