Good Eating Tuesday: Garlic Mushroom Spinach Pasta Topping

Today's Good Eating recipe is my own concoction:
 Garlic Mushroom Spinach Pasta Topping1

It's not precisely a "sauce," which is why I call it a "topping."

It's an olive oil based pasta topping infused with fresh minced garlic then sliced onions, mushrooms and a bag of frozen spinach plus Italian seasoning and a little pasta water to smooth it out.

One 10 oz bag of Picsweet Farms Cut Leaf frozen spinach made enough for 4 generous servings, so we had it 2 nights:
First night, over fresh Buitoni mushroom ravioli &

second night, over Ramen noodles. (plain)

I went meatless with just mushrooms, but Buitoni makes some delicious chicken ravioli and tortelllini, so you can always choose that.

We decided this is a dish best served with garlic bread on the side, so you'll want that!

(photos are my own)

Garlic Mushroom Spinach Pasta Topping

Ingredients

1 10 oz bag cut leaf Spinach, thawed

1 8oz package of baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced

1/2 of 1 large onion, sliced thin

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 to 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 to 3 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning (or just oregano or basil)

Salt & pepper to taste

2 to 3 cups to hot pasta water

2 to 3 teaspoons cornstarch to thicken

 A bottle of fresh Kraft Grated Romano/Parmesan cheese to shake on top of pasta and sauce

Directions:

Fill a medium sauce pan with water plus a little salt and bring to boil.

While water heats, slice up your onions and mushrooms, so  they're ready to use.

Once water boils, add Buitoni pasta and cook for time directed and start the topping.

In large skillet over med high heat, add olive oil and minced garlic.

Saute garlic 15 to 20 seconds to infuse oil with garlic flavor,

Now add the sliced onions and mushrooms and stir to coat, then let cook a few minutes until onions begin getting tender, stirring as needed.

Now stir in spinach, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

It will look pretty gloppy, which is why you need to add the pasta water. Adding the hot pasta water is a chef's trick and better then plain water because it's become flavored by the pasta.

Dip out 1 cup of hot pasta water from saucepan and add to spinach mix and stir. Then add a second and stir in. Does it look smoother?Does it need a little more pasta water? Then add a little more pasta water and stir. You want the spinach-mushroom mix to smooth out, but not become overly watery.

Turn heat to low.

With a spoon, push the spinach mix away so liquid is exposed and quickly stir in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch one at a time, stirring after each addition so it doesn't get lumpy. Liquid should thicken quickly. Stir into rest of spinach mix.

You can add an additional teaspoon of cornstarch if it still doesn't seems thick enough.

Your Buitoni pasta should be floating by now and done, so drain.

Arrange pasta on plates. Shake Kraft fresh grated cheese over top of pasta for topping to melt when it's added. Then top with Garlic Mushroom Spinach topping. 

Shake more Kraft fresh grated cheese over top and serve with garlic bread and a side salad.

*******

This sauce was actually more richly flavored after being refrigerated and reheated the second day when we had it over Ramen.
Hubby said it had a good mix of flavors.