This recipe has an unusual colour, bound to intrigue your guests. Beautiful, yet healthy, this spaghetti forms the perfect base for all sorts of variations! The recipe is simple, easy to recreate at home and appeals to all palettes, including those of children, making it perfect for a family meal. However, feel free to customize it to your tastes and go wild with additional flavours such as chorizo, smoked chicken and jalapeno.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 packages of baby spinach, fresh and washed (approx. 400g)
- 300 ml cream
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- Salt & pepper
- If a spicier recipe is desired, add a touchof chipotle or smoky paprika
- 300g smoked salmon(alternatively you could use a packet of bacon lardons)
- 1 packet of spaghetti, (500g)
How to Prepare:
In a large liddedpot, cook the majority of thegarlic in the olive oil on a low heatuntil soft and transparent. This should take approximately 5 minutes but monitor carefully to prevent burning. Next, add in the entire bunch of spinach and some of the salt and pepper. Cover and cook over amedium heat. As the spinach reduces, you will need to turn or flip it every minute until it is reduced and thoroughly cooked.Remove fromthe heat and turn spinach out into a colander. Wait until it is cool enough to handle and then squeeze as much liquid from the spinach as you can, until almost dry. Then place your dried spinach onto a chopping board and chop roughly to ‘bite’ size.
In another saucepan,lightlyheat your cream and add a little more salt, pepper and whatever other spices you fancy (nutmeg is traditional with spinach).Add the spinach pieces to the cream and heat together gently. When all is warmed, use your portable, handheld blender or food processor to blend the mixture until smooth. Taste and season again if necessary.
Next, shred your smoked salmon into small pieces. (If using bacon, pre-cook the lardons and put them aside to drain on a piece of kitchen towel.) Mix with the remainder of the chopped garlic and a touch of olive oil in a large pasta serving bowl. Leave to the side while you cook whatever pasta you enjoy. When it is cooked, drain thoroughly and tossin your oil and fish mixture. Make sure your spinach sauce is still warm and then pour over pasta, swirling to coat every piece. Decorate with strips of smoked salmon and serve – I used our festive Winter Robin Pasta Server. We’d love to know if you give this recipe a try, let us know what you think in the comments below or on our Twitter & Facebook pages!