Creamy spinach eggplant pasta. Yep.
Guys.
You know when you want something really, really badly but you are too scared to go for it for fear you’ll fail so you muddle through your current existence just wanting and waiting and wanting and waiting until you finally snap and do irrational things like quit your job and end your relationship and blow through your life savings to make it happen and then it does happen and you’re like, “Holy… shit. It’s happening.”?
Of course you do. Hypothetically speaking.
I’m teaching my first yoga class tomorrow and I want to vomit. I’m told this is normal. When I say I want to vomit I am not talking metaphorically like, “Oh I’m so excited I could just PUKE.” No. I mean that tomorrow when you would see most teachers walking around with a towel in their hands, I’ll be carrying a barf bag.
In an attempt to not get me all riled up, let’s talk about food.
By popular request, this is the “recipe” for the creamy spinach and eggplant pasta I ate the other night. If we were speaking face to face I’d air quote the word recipe because it’s not a real recipe. It’s a little bit Sandra Lee. Just throw some things together and TAH-DAH… cocktail time!
This meal is simple and accessible to any cooking level since I’m pretty sure everyone knows how to boil water and open a jar of sauce (you’re welcome), but it involves lots of layers and textures and tastes and techniques that make it seem like you worked a whole lot harder than you did. If you eat alone like I do, this is impressive only to you and your cats. But I’d totally stand behind serving this meal to someone else. It was really good.
With wine. (not optional)
| Creamy Spinach Eggplant Pasta |
|
- Pasta:
- 2 cup brown rice pasta, prepared
- Eggplant:
- 1 eggplant, sliced into rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- dried oregano
- salt & pepper
- Creamy Spinach:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1/3 cup spinach dip (or Greek yogurt)
- Toppings:
- marinara sauce
- feta, optional
- Prepare the pasta as instructed. I’m not telling you how to do this.
- Slice the eggplant into rounds and arrange on a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. (Feel free to throw in some garlic or other spices you enjoy.)
- Roast the eggplant in a 400-degree oven for about 8 minutes on each side.
- While the eggplant is roasting, warm olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Add frozen spinach and saute until cooked through. Add the spinach dip or Greek yogurt and warm through.
- Arrange the eggplant on top of the pasta. Top with creamy spinach mix, marinara sauce and feta cheese.
I used Trader Joe’s kale and spinach Greek yogurt dip because they sent me home with a free tub to try last week. It.is.so.good. You could use any creamy dip (vegan or otherwise) or, alternatively, just plain Greek yogurt.
You can easily feed two people with this and will still have leftover eggplant slices to gnaw on throughout the week. I speak from experience.
I kept mine pretty just long enough to take pictures and then promptly mauled it while watching Dr. Oz. (I typed Ox and should have left it.)
Go time.
I’m off to hyperventilate for the next 23 hours. What’s that thing they talk about in yoga all the time? Oh right. Breathing.
