Creamy Spinach & Caramelised Onion Pasta

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.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Cuisine: Italian-inspired

Courses: Mains

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4

Calories: 536

Description

Soft caramelised onions, smoked pancetta and wilted spinach make a savoury, lightly creamy sauce for penne.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions (finely sliced)
130 g smoked pancetta (diced)
2 tbsp tomato purée
350 g dried penne
450 g spinach (washed)
100 ml single cream
sea salt (to taste)
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Parmigiano Reggiano (finely grated, to serve)

Instructions

1
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.
2
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.
3
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until one minute short of al dente. Reserve a mugful of cooking water before draining.
4
Add the spinach to the onion mixture in batches, covering briefly between additions so it wilts.
5
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.

Note

For a meat-free version, replace the pancetta with about 3 tablespoons drained capers, fried until slightly crisp.