Make a Flavorful and Colorful Spinach Pasta Meal- loaded with bright red, orange, yellow and white veggies and cottage cheese. The bright colors of the veggies beautifully complement the green spinach pasta in this great-looking one-dish meal. Not only does it look gorgeous, it is delicious and packed with lots of goodies too. Vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein and energy-giving carbs – what more do you want?
Don’t let its appearance scare you into thinking it must surely take forever to make. It does not! The prep is actually surprising simple, even if you are a novice or in a time crunch. So, why not make this for dinner tonight? You can eat in about 30 min, if you follow my game plan! Maybe you could even make a bit extra, for easy leftovers tomorrow?
The Pasta
I have used spinach spaghetti in this dish for its pretty green color and flavor. Nutrition-wise, it’s actually not that much different from regular pasta. The green color becomes much lighter as It cooks (6-7 min for al dente). How to minimize the loss of nutrients into the cooking water? Use much less water than the package directions call for. I also save about a cup of the cooking water, to add to the dish later (as needed). I also recommend adding a little salt to the cooking water – the pasta will definitely taste better. Actually, I hate throwing away any of the cooking water – it has valuable nutrients in it – why waste them? See Recipe Notes for some suggestions about what you can use this cooking water for.
The Colorful Veggies – Carrots, Red bell peppers, Corn
Each of the veggies in this pasta dish brings with it a rich array of nutrients. For starters, the carrots and bell peppers deliver lots of orange beta carotene. The peppers and corn provide the yellow lutein and zeaxanthin,, the peppers and tomatoes provide the bright red lycopene, and that’s not all! These vegetables are excellent sources of several other vitamins and minerals too. All these substances are extremely important in supporting our health and well-being.
And The White-Fleshed Turnips….
It’s not just the brightly colored veggies that pack the nutrients and the flavor. The unassuming and rather ordinary-looking turnips hide an impressive array of nutrients too, Who would think that the bright yellow lutein could hide in the white flesh of a turnip? Turnips also have an appreciable amount of fiber and are a good source of potassium. Modern eating habits often lead to the intake of far more sodium than recommended. Consuming foods rich in potassium can help the body excrete some that excess sodium. I typically don’t peel the turnip. If you prefer to do so, though, you will probably also want to rinse it before slicing. That’s OK, provided you do it very quickly. Otherwise, all that precious potassium will come right out of the turnips…and…literally, go down the drain!
Despite resembling other root vegetables in appearance, turnips are actually classified as a cruciferous vegetable. Just like the other vegetables from this class (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, etc.), turnips too have glucosinolates. A growing body of evidence suggests that glucosinolates may protect us against numerous chronic diseases, including cancer.
Have you ever eaten turnips?
Perhaps some of you have never eaten a turnip, or maybe never even seen one! A picture might show you how it looks, but what about its taste? So, here’s a little intro: raw turnips are crisp and a bit spicy, a little like radishes. However, cooking sweetens them, and they add a slightly earthy, complex depth to any dish they are in.
In northern India, turnips are called Shalgam (‘Hindi, Punjabi; Shul’ – as in ‘dull’ – ‘gum’), Gogje (Kashmiri). A popular, spicy mixed pickle, is made with carrots, radish and turnips – “Gaajar-Mooli-Shalgam Ka Achaar”. I love having this pickle, one of my personal favorites, with Parathas (a flaky flatbread made with whole wheat flour). Folks from Kashmir also add turnips to curried Red Kidney beans. The cooked turnips add a lovely, complex flavor to the bean curry.
How to get the most nutrition out of all these beauties?
Sure, these vegetables come loaded with nutrients, but what can we do to ensure that we actually absorb them all? All of the prep matters: washing, cutting, cooking – you can lose nutrients at every step! With excessive washing and prolonged soaking after cutting – you run the risk of leaching out the water soluble B-vitamins, Vitamin C, as well as a host of minerals. Prolonged cooking times? Not good! You will probably lose even more Vitamin C and some B-vitamins too.
What about the fat-soluble beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, etc.? Turns out, we cannot easily absorb these substances from raw vegetables. We absorb them much better from cut-up, chopped and cooked vegetables. Also, the oil we use for cooking dissolves them and quickly whisks them away, so we don’t ‘lose’ them.
So, what’s a good strategy for prepping these vegetables? Wash them thoroughly before cutting/chopping, then quickly saute/stir fry them in a bit of oil. Perfect !
The cheese…
I like using cottage cheese in this dish because of its chunky texture and pleasantly tart flavor. As for protein – it’s loaded! What to do if cottage cheese is not available? Use Paneer, diced finely and marinated in a little bit of salted yogurt (see recipe Notes for other suggestions).
For the final topping, I use a bit of Parmesan and Mozzarella, which lend their classic flavors to this pasta dish, while also adding more protein.
Special Diets
This dish is vegetarian, soy free, nut-free, but not vegan and not gluten-free. To make a vegan version, either omit all the three dairy cheeses, or substitute them with your favorite vegan cheeses. If you like, you can make it gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta of your choice. Of course, be mindful that the nutritional profile will naturally change a bit if you do any substitutions.
So, anyone for pasta tonight? As you make your flavorful and colorful spinach pasta meal, be assured that you are preparing a nutritionally well-balanced dish. To serve, just put out some tasty accompaniments. My suggestions: fresh crusty bread and butter, olive oil, crushed red pepper, Balsamic vinegar, maybe even some spicy Giardiniera pickles…. Mmm. I’m hungry now!
If you love pasta, check out another tasty pasta recipe I posted recently: Colorful Pasta with Spinach and Edamame
Do make it, enjoy it with friends and family, and I hope you leave a review and a rating.
Make a Flavorful and Colorful Spinach Pasta Meal
Equipment
- Microwave oven preferred; if not available, check Recipe Notes for alternate directions
Ingredients
- 8 oz Spinach Spaghetti If not available, spinach ribbons, or any other pasta of your choice is OK; naturally, the appearance will change a little, but it will still be delicious.
- 6 cups water for cooking pasta
- 75 g Baby carrots about 15 carrots Quartered lengthwise; If not available, use mature carrots, preferably not too thick in diameter. see directions for prepping
- 50 g Turnip – about 1/2 medium sized turnip thick julienne strips; avoid using large turnips – they have a slightly bitter taste, even after cooking; if not available, omit or use a different vegetable instead – small-tender Kohlrabi (called Navalkol in Marathi, Hindi) broccoli or cauliflower stalks would be good substitutes
- 1/4 cup Red bell pepper cut into 1 inch long strips – about 1/4 medium sized pepper; if not available, yellow or orange pepper OK too; do not use green bell pepper- it has a very different flavor
- 1 cup Tomatoes diced medium – any variety; fully ripe, with deep red color; if using cherry/grape tomatoes- slice in half, lengthwise
- 2-3 cloves Garlic slivered long
- 1/2 cup Cottage cheese large curd preferred – if not available, see Recipe Notes for substitution suggestions
- 1/2 cup Corn frozen or canned; yellow preferred; if using fresh corn, see Recipe Notes for cooking directions.
- 1 tsp Oil peanut oil preferred; any other edible oil OK; do NOT use extra-virgin olive oil for cooking
- 2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil Cold pressed preferred
- 1/4 tsp Salt only add as much as needed- may not need all of it; add 1/2 tsp salt in the water used for cooking the spaghetti
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper freshly crushed preferred
- 1 tsp Crushed red pepper also called red chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp Dried Basil if using fresh leaves, need 3-4 tbsp roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese – grated or finely shredded for making it vegan: use your preferred vegan cheese
- 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese – shredded for making it vegan: use your preferred vegan cheese
Instructions
- In a medium-large pot, bring about 7-8 cups water to a boil (note: this is much less than the package directions typically suggest). Stir in 1/2 tsp salt. Add the spaghetti, stir, bring back to a boil and follow package directions for cooking al dente (6-8 min). Don't let it become mushy soft.
- Place a colander over a pot to collect the cooking water when you drain the cooked pasta, Drain the spaghetti and reserve 1 cup cooking water. (The rest of the cooking water can be used in preparing other dishes – see Recipe Notes for ideas)Transfer the spaghetti to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water and gently toss to coat the pasta. Save the rest of the water for later, if needed. Taste-test the spaghetti for salt- sprinkle a pinch if needed and toss again. Keep covered, while prepping and cooking the veggies.
- While the pasta cooks, prep the vegetables. Place the baby carrots in a microwave safe bowl with about 2 tbsp water and microwave on hi for 30 seconds. Set aside for 2-3 min, covered; then remove the carrots from the water and set aside for 1-2 minutes to cool further, before slicing.Alternatively, you can do this on the stove-top – add the carrots in a cup of boiling water in a small saucepan for 30 seconds. Drain immediately and set aside, covered, to cool, If using mature carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch long pieces first – use about 10-12 of these pieces (about 75 g). Note: Brief cooking/blanching softens the carrots, making them easy to slice evenly.
- When carrots are cool, slice lengthwise into quarters. If using mature carrots, slice each piece in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 3-5 long pieces, depending on the thickness of the carrots.Slice the garlic cloves into long slivers.
- Meanwhile, slice the red bell pepper into 1 inch strips – you will need about 1/4 of a medium-sized pepper.
- Scrub the turnip thoroughly while rinsing to remove surface dirt. Ideally, do not peel – the purple skin has valuable nutrients. You will need about 1/2 a medium turnip (about 50 g).. Cut into1/4 inch thick slices, then cut each slice into strips. –
- Heat the peanut (or other) oil in a 10 inch skillet/frying pan. Add garlic, carrots and turnips. Stir to mi;, cover and cook for 3-4 min. on med-hi heat. The turnips and carrots should start browning a little (and also softening)
- Add bell pepper, 1/8 tsp salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Saute, uncovered, for 2-3 min, till red pepper wilts. Turn heat off.
- Add diced tomatoes, corn, cottage cheese and basil. Stir gently to mix.
- Add vegetables-cottage cheese mixture on top of the cooked spaghetti. Toss gently, adding more of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed. Pasta should not be too dry.
- Serve the prepared pasta in individual plates/bowls. Top each serving with Parmesan and Mozzarella. Cover and microwave (each plate/bowl separately) on hi for 1 1/2-2 min, till pasta is thoroughly heated through and cheese melts. (For heating without microwave, see Recipe Notes)
- Serve, along with fresh crusty bread and butter, and condiments such as psta sauce, Giardineira pickles, Italian seasoning, balsamic vinegar, fresh-crush pepper mill, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
Blanching carrots on stove-top:
- Boil 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan
- Add baby carrots ( or 1 1/2 inches long carrot pieces, if using mature carrots)
- Remove after 30 seconds; set aside to cool
- proceed to cut as directed in the recipe
If using fresh corn (rather than canned/frozen):
- strip the kernels from the cob carefully with a sharp knife.
- blanch the kernels by placing in 1 cup of boiling water for 1 min-
- strain immediately
Substitutes for cottage cheese, if not available:
- Paneer, chopped into small cubes, marinated overnight with a pinch of salt mixed into 1 tbsp beaten yogurt
- Fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes, marinated overnight with a pinch of salt mixed into 1 tbsp beaten yogurt
- Feta cheese crumbles
Heating final dish without microwave:
- In the oven:
- Preheat oven to 300F
- Serve pasta in oven-safe plates/bowls; add the cheese toppings
- Heat the prepared plates/bowls in oven for 5-7 min – till cheese melts and sizzles
- Serve
- On the stove-top:
- Heat an 8 inch frying pan on med-hi for 1-2 min
- Transfer individual serving amount to the hot pan
- Drizzle about 2 tbsp reserved pasta cooking water
- Sprinkle the Parmesan and Mozzarella toppings
- Cover and simmer 2-3 min, until cheese melts.
- Transfer to individual serving plate/bowl
- Add 1 tbsp pasta cooking water to the empty pan
- Repeat above steps with each of the remaining servings
- Serve
What to do with pasta cooking water:
- Save 1 cup for using in this recipe
- Use the rest ( in 1-2 days) in any soup, stew, curry, Dal, making dough for bread / chapati / tortillas, savory batter (of any kind) etc.
- since the water is salted, you will need to adjust the salt in the other dish accordingly
Storing leftovers:
- Refrigerate leftovers and consume within 1-2 days.
- I do not recommend freezing the leftovers from this dish – the texture of the vegetables will be too soggy and very unappealing when thawed and re-heated.
I have to do this Sushma!! Looks yum
It is as Yum as it looks! Even Ashok took seconds and he’s NOT a past-lover! 🙂