Description
This 15 Minute Super Green Rigatoni is a quick and nourishing pasta dish featuring a vibrant spinach and parmesan sauce, enlivened with garlic, anchovies, and chili oil, topped with crunchy toasted breadcrumbs for added texture. It's perfect for a fast weeknight meal that's both comforting and packed with flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon chili oil (or olive oil)
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 anchovies (or 2 teaspoons white miso paste)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 9 oz/250 g spinach leaves
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 oz/30 g parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)
- 7 oz/200 g rigatoni (or any pasta shape of your choice)
- 1 tablespoon chili oil (for finishing)
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (to serve)
Instructions
- Toast Breadcrumbs: Heat 1 tablespoon chili oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer toasted breadcrumbs to a bowl and set aside.
- Sauté Onions and Aromatics: In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add finely diced onion and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add sliced garlic and anchovies, pressing them down with the back of a spoon to dissolve. Stir for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot filled two-thirds with water to a boil over high heat with 1 tablespoon salt. Add rigatoni and cook for about 10 minutes or until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve some pasta cooking water before draining.
- Wilt Spinach: Add spinach to the pan with onions and aromatics. Stir for about 1 minute until spinach wilts, darkens, and reduces in volume.
- Make Sauce: Transfer the spinach mixture into a blender. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 oz parmesan, and a ladleful of reserved pasta water. Blend until completely smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed. Add more pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Toss Pasta and Sauce: Return the green sauce to the pan. Add drained rigatoni directly into the sauce and toss well to coat. Adjust consistency with additional pasta water if necessary. Taste and season with extra salt and parmesan as desired.
- Serve: Plate the pasta, drizzle each serving with ½ tablespoon chili oil, sprinkle with remaining parmesan, and finish with the toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- This dish is excellent for quick weeknight dinners and works well to use up any wilting greens in your fridge.
- You can substitute anchovies with white miso paste for a vegetarian umami boost.
- To save time, boil water in an electric kettle before adding to the pot to speed up pasta cooking.
- Reserve pasta water carefully; its starch content is vital for creating a silky sauce without cream.
- Use panko breadcrumbs for extra crunch, but regular breadcrumbs will also work.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 250 g
- Calories: 599 kcal
- Sugar: 5.9 g
- Sodium: 1214.8 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 93.8 g
- Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 25.6 g
- Cholesterol: 13.6 mg
