Give onions enough time in a pan and they will do most of the work for you. Once they are properly soft and sweet, a little pancetta, spinach and cream is enough to turn them into a very satisfying pasta sauce.
This is good midweek food: familiar ingredients, one pan for the sauce and nothing particularly complicated to get right.
Creamy Spinach & Caramelised Onion Pasta
Description
Soft caramelised onions, smoked pancetta and wilted spinach make a savoury, lightly creamy sauce for penne.Ingredients
Instructions
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Warm the olive oil in a large lidded sauté pan. Add the onions with a small pinch of salt, cover and cook over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft.
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Remove the lid, add the pancetta and fry for 4–5 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another 3–4 minutes until sticky and lightly caramelised.
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Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until one minute short of al dente. Reserve a mugful of cooking water before draining.
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Add the spinach to the onion mixture in batches, covering briefly between additions so it wilts.
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Lower the heat and stir in the cream. Add the pasta and enough reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce. Toss over low heat for a minute, season with black pepper and serve with Parmigiano Reggiano.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 536kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 19.5g30%
- Saturated Fat 7.3g37%
- Sodium 539mg23%
- Potassium 489mg14%
- Total Carbohydrate 74.1g25%
- Dietary Fiber 7.2g29%
- Sugars 8.6g
- Protein 20.5g41%
- Vitamin C 12.9 mg
- Calcium 66 mg
- Iron 1.8 mg
- Vitamin D 10.8 IU
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
