Spinach Garlic Cream Fettuccine

Saw this pasta recipe on Rachel Ray before. Since I have the ingredients on our pantry,  I decided to take a shot at it and tweak it a little bit. So here's my version of Spinach Garlic Cream Fettuccine

Ingredients:


2 bundles fresh spinach, cleaned and trimmed of stems
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 pound spinach tagliatelle or fettuccine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped (or you can use onions as substitute)

1/2 cup onion leeks

1 cup button mushroom, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (a handful), for tossing with pasta, plus more to pass at table
Procedure:


Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt, blanch the spinach and basil for 1 minute, then transfer them with tongs or a spider to large bowl of ice water to cold-shock them. Food that is heated will continue to cook slightly, that's why we need to cold shock it to stop the cooking process or to avoid over-cooking.

Using a clean kitchen towel, wring dry the spinach and basil, then chop or thinly slice. 

Use the same pot and water that you used for blanching the greens for cooking the pasta. Add more water to the pot if necessary. Add a few teaspoons of oil. Cook pasta til al dente.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the extra virgin olive oil. Add the shallots, leeks, mushroom and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the wine and stir for 1 minute. Let it dry a little.

Add the cream, bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to simmer and keep over a low boil for 7-8 minutes while the pasta cooks. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg.

Using tongs, add the pasta directly into the skillet with the sauce, along with a ladleful of starchy cooking water and the cooked spinach, basil and cheese. Toss vigorously for 1-2 minutes to combine. Adjust the seasonings, to taste, then serve, passing extra cheese at the table.

This is one of those healthy, guilt-free pasta meals (inspite of the heavy cream, the basil and spinach balances it all out). Try it! It's really good :)