Description
A vibrant and healthy wholemeal penne pasta dish featuring a spicy tomato and spinach sauce, enhanced with garlic, chilli flakes, and a touch of red wine. Finished with grated parmesan or a vegetarian alternative, this recipe is perfect for a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sauce and Vegetables
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 100ml red wine
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 125g bag young spinach leaves
For the Pasta & Garnish
- 200g wholemeal penne pasta
- 25g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, grated
Instructions
- Prepare the Aromatics: Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, crushed garlic cloves, and ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes. Gently fry these ingredients, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the pan, add a splash of water to prevent burning.
- Cook the Pasta: While the aromatics cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 200g of wholemeal penne pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve some pasta water when draining, if desired, for adjusting sauce consistency.
- Build the Sauce: To the pan with the fried aromatics, add a 400g can of chopped tomatoes, 100ml red wine, and ½ teaspoon dried oregano. Stir everything together, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Add Spinach: Shake in the 125g bag of young spinach leaves to the sauce. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more until the spinach is wilted and well blended into the sauce.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Drain the cooked pasta thoroughly and tip it into the frying pan with the tomato and spinach sauce. Toss everything together well to ensure the pasta is evenly coated.
- Serve: Sprinkle 25g of grated parmesan or your preferred vegetarian alternative over the pasta and serve immediately for a warm, comforting meal.
Notes
- If you prefer a milder dish, reduce the amount of dried chilli flakes.
- Using wholemeal pasta increases fiber content, making this dish more filling and nutritious.
- To make the recipe vegan, substitute the parmesan with a plant-based cheese alternative or nutritional yeast.
- Reserve some pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if it becomes too thick when mixing with pasta.
- The red wine enhances depth of flavor, but can be omitted or replaced with vegetable broth for a non-alcoholic version.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: wholemeal penne pasta, chilli tomato sauce, spinach pasta, vegetarian pasta recipe, healthy pasta dinner
