Pasta with Spinach-Basil Sauce

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Prep Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Servings:
8

This is a tasty twist on classic pasta with pesto sauce.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • cup shallots, minced

  • 1 pound spinach, stemmed and washed

  • 1 bunch basil, stemmed (4 to 5 cups lightly packed)

  • ½ cup finely grated Parmesan

  • ½ cup ricotta cheese

  • Coarse salt and ground pepper

  • teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 ½ pounds fettuccine

Directions

  1. In small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook shallots, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, submerge spinach and basil in a large pot of simmering salted water; drain immediately. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible; transfer spinach and basil to a food processor.

  3. Add shallots, ricotta, Parmesan, and nutmeg; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Process until smooth.

  4. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with spinach sauce; thin with pasta water, as needed. Serve with extra grated Parmesan, if desired.

Cook's Notes

To freeze the sauce, cool completely before transferring to storage containers. Freeze up to 3 months. To cook: Defrost sauce overnight in refrigerator (or use the microwave); reheat over medium-low heat. Cook pasta.

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