Capellini Verdi

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love pasta.  One- It’s easy to prepare. Two- there are so many different pastas so it’s impossible to get sick of. Three-So many different sauce possibilities- Ragu, pesto, cheese, vegetable; anything your heart desires! Plus, you can make something so impressive without really putting all that much effort into it. It’s just that simple! I will never tire of pasta. It’s part of who I am. As an Italian I grew up eating pasta AT LEAST three times a week and I still do!!

In keeping with some healthier Italian options without sacrificing flavor, tonight I will be serving Whole Wheat Capellini Verdi. Capellini literally means thin hair (imagine really skinny spaghetti.)  If you can’t find Capellini, use spaghetti or angel hair or whatever you want!) I make mine with rocket (arugula), spinach, peas, parsley, pignoli, garlic and pesto. It is so delicious. What I like about these particular vegetables is that they don’t have a very intense vegetable taste that a lot of people don’t like (like our good friend, broccoli.)

You won’t miss the fact that there is no cheese, heavy cream sauce or meat. It will turn any carnivore into a vegetable believer!!! This is a wonderful healthy dinner option. You get all the good vitamins and nutrients from all the greens, all the benefits of garlic and pine nuts are a good source of magnesium and potassium. So that fact that it tastes so good AND is good for you, certainly can’t hurt!!

Capellini Verdi

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt (to taste)
Pepper (quanto basta)
Red Pepper (just a sprinkle!)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 box of capellini
1 box of arugula
1 box of fresh spinach
1 box of peas
½ cup of Pignoli
Handful of parsley
4 tablespoons of Pesto

First, chop your garlic. Prepare a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper over medium heat. Put your garlic with your oil mixture.

Next, start boiling your water, add salt! While the water is boiling, chop your arugula and spinach. I like to chop it very fine because then it blends really nicely with the pesto! Put the chopped greens in the pan with the oil mix.

Once the water is boiling, put the capellini in. Capellini, along with other thin pastas, usually cooks pretty quickly, so don’t overcook! You want it perfectly al dente, so just six minutes. Drain your pasta, but keep a little of the water. Put your pasta in the pan with the oil and greens. Add the box of peas and pignoli.

Very finely chop your pasley and put on top of the pasta. Add the pesto, a little pasta water and mix it all together. The combination of the water and pesto will create a nice creaminess but without the fat and calories of cream!! Let me know if this will turn you into a veggie believer. Buon Appetito!!