Dinner 1-2-3

This dinner from Martha Stewart includes what I like to call "The Three Gimmies"!
Super cheesy, I know, but let me explain.

1. CHEAP!!!
2. FAST AND EASY!!!
3. HEALTHY!!!

Give me those three things in a dinner recipe, and I am basically sold! And this dinner really is so fast and easy, packed with flavor, and light and healthy.

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and Spinach
2 pints grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 shallots , cut into eighths (or one small red onion)
2 TB fresh thyme leaves
2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and ground pepper
8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta
3 cups baby spinach or arugula, chopped

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and shallots (onions) on a cookie sheet. Toss with the olive oil and thyme. Season with the salt and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes are bursting and the shallots (onions) are browned and soft (about 20 minutes).

2. While the veggies are roasting, cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente (which when I asked my Italian grandmother years ago, al dente means to cook the pasta until the noodles are cooked through, and but still a little firm to bite, not mushy). Drain, reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta water, and return to pot.

3. Peel roasted garlic and mash flat with the side of a chef's knife. Add all the roasted veggies to the pasta in the pot. Add the reserved pasta water. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens a little bit (about 3 minutes). Let cool slightly, then toss with the spinach or arugula.

*Optional*

For some additional flavor and some added lean protein, try adding browned chicken breast, sauteed shrimp, or roasted salmon.

My husband and I tried adding the sauteed shrimp this weekend, and loved it! The meal takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and the clean-up is also a breeze! Man, I love these kinds of recipes!

This recipe was a definate keeper that was quickly filed into our everyday recipe book.