Pasta with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Spinach

Well hello, flavor. Nice to see you again.

Tonight's meal more than makes up for last night's comparatively bland product. This is another Italian dish, from a British chef, with a tomato-based sauce. But it is a world apart from yesterday's fare. Yesterday wasn't all bad, but this one is incredibly spicy and flavorful. It's also incredibly easy to put together, and you can have it on the table in about twenty minutes.

One can never have too many tomato sauce recipes. This is definitely one to add the collection. And feel free to use the pasta of your choice, but make sure it's a tough one that can stand up to a chunky tomato sauce. No delicate angel hair here, people.

Pasta with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Spinach
adapted from Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef Takes Off
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon EVOO
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 14-oz can whole plum tomatoes
red wine vinegar, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 oz. whole wheat pasta of your choice
2 handfuls fresh baby spinach
4 oz. bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the EVOO in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, leaving whole, and cook for about 5 minutes. Carefully crush the tomatoes with a potato masher or fork, and reduce to simmer. When sauce is thick and chunky, after about 5 more minutes, remove from heat and season to taste with red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

2. Cook the pasta in a medium pot of boiling salted water until al dente. When the pasta still has about 2-3 minutes to go, place a colander over the pot with the spinach in it to steam it. If you like your spinach less wilted, only do this for about 1 minute.

3. Drain pasta and stir into the sauce. Serve topped with spinach and mozzarella.

Keep a glass of water handy, as this is one spicy dish. Enjoy!