I’ve posted recipes on websites before, only to be yelled at for not making everything from scratch. So if you’re looking for a recipe that you can spend hours on, I’m sorry. I don’t have that kind of time, and I don’t feel like making all that mess.
Last night I made some pretty good pasta with premade sauce and, of course, premade noodles – I will never make my own noodles. I may dabble in sauce making sometimes, meaning I combine premade sauces or add italian seasoning to stewed tomatoes.
So here’s my semi-homemade vodka pasta, it’ll go great with some Riesling…or beer. Everything’s pretty great with beer.
What You Need:
Vodka Sauce, any brand (but I really like Classico, it has tomato chunks)
Whole Wheat Rotini
Spinach, fresh or thawed
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt
Mozzarella Cheese (optional)
Feta Cheese (optional)
What to Do:
Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add a bit of salt. Put in as much pasta as you want, I don’t measure servings. Add some red pepper flakes to let the noodles absorb the spice. Let the pasta boil until it reaches the texture you want (I prefer letting the pasta get super soft, otherwise whole wheat pasta can taste a bit too grainy). Throw in as much spinach as you want and let it sit with the pasta for a while. Drain the pasta and spinach, then place back in the pot. Add the vodka sauce (again put as much as you want; I put tons). If you’d like add in some grated mozzarella and/or top it off with feta. (I like the feta.)
This dish is very similar to Noodle & Co’s Penne Rosa, which has tomatoes and mushrooms as well.
*** Vegans can adapt this recipe, I think. Make your own vodka sauce with stewed tomatoes, soy milk, vodka, and spices. You can experiment! If you have the time…
The Princess and the Peas 