The Briny Lemon: Toasted Penne with Tomatoes and Baby Spinach

Toasting dry pasta in a skillet with a little olive oil is a simple and easy way to add extra flavor to otherwise plain noodles that depend on a sauce for taste. The browning process lends a bit of smoky, toasted flavor before the pasta is actually cooked along with the sauce. No separate boiling required.

Note: If you use short, tubular pasta, such as penne, as I did here, it will need extra minutes to soften in the sauce as opposed to boiling water. I cooked it about 17 minutes total to an al dente texture. Thinner noodles, of course, will cook faster.

The sauce in this recipe is simply canned, peeled tomatoes, hand-crushed, along with baby spinach leaves and chicken broth for extra moisture to cook the penne. I added the broth to the pan a little at a time to maintain a “saucy” consistency throughout cooking.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
8 oz penne (or other short, tubular pasta)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes (preferably organic)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 cups baby spinach leaves (long stems removed)
1 cup chicken broth, divided
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

Preparation

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Do not wipe out the skillet.

Penne Beginning to Toast

After 3 Minutes

Toasted Pasta

If there is less than 1 tablespoon of oil remaining in the pan, add a little more. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes to the pan, crushing them in your fingers as they’re added. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a light simmer (not a hard boil). Cook, continuing to break up the tomatoes with a spoon, 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook until wilted, 1 minute.
Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and return the pasta to the pan. Cover and simmer slowly 6-7 minutes. Add 1/4 cup broth, cover, and continue simmering 6-7 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup broth and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and the pasta is firmly al dente, 3-4 minutes longer. Check for seasoning, adding more salt if desired.