Spaghetti With A Twist

I really love spaghetti, but David's not the biggest fan. We don't have it all that often but every once in a while I get a craving that I can't resist. I found this recipe that calls for several surprising ingredients (like nutritional yeast, walnuts, and spinach) and thought I'd give it a whirl.

Tomato Walnut Basil Pasta - from Oh She Glows

Yield: 3.5 cups sauce

Ingredients:

• One 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced (yield: 1 cup diced)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, stems removed & chopped finely
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 large handfuls spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/2-3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• Pasta of your choice (I used whole wheat spaghetti)

Directions:

1. Chop onion and garlic. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in the onion and cook over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and cook on low for another 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
2. Add in the oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir well. Cook on low for a few minutes. Now add in the 28oz of crushed tomatoes, chopped basil, and nutritional yeast. Stir. Bring to a low boil and then simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook your pasta.
3. Stir in the chopped walnuts and the chopped spinach. Cook for about 10 minutes longer on med-low. Serve over pasta and garnish with basil leaves and additional walnuts. Makes about 3.5 cups sauce.

Dinner was actually ready before the sun went down, so we had a picnic in the back yard.

I really enjoyed this recipe. The only thing I think I'll change next time around is omitting the walnuts and sprinkling the pasta with panko bread crumbs for a lighter crunch. Even David enjoyed this one, so into the recipe folder it goes!

~Tammy