I usually don’t like seeing recipes labeled as 15 minute meals or 30 minute meals or whatever the trendy dinner making time may be. I usually find it misleading, because it may be that fast if you have everything ready to go and can prep/cook uninterrupted, but not so fast if dinner prep time is anything like ours (searching for ingredients we know we have somewhere in the pantry, trying to multitask and respond to calls/emails while we cook, looking through and hearing explanations of all the art projects made during pre-k that day, etc.). And 15 minutes or 30 minutes pass and we are still not ready to eat.
With this recipe though, I can safely say that we can always get it done in the amount of time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. The prep is so minimal and the ingredients so few that this never turns into a drawn out process. Most of the ingredients are pretty standard staples, so this is also a great meal for last minute dinners. Not only is it reliably fast, but it is incredibly flavorful for how simple it is. I often get an “I forgot how good this is!” from Trevor when I haven’t made it for awhile. We love it with the long fusilli, but you can use whatever pasta you have on hand.
- 8 ounces fusilli col boco (long fusilli)
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 large clove garlic
- 4 ounces prosciutto, sliced thin
- 2 large handfuls spinach
- ½ cup freshly grated freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Fill a large pot with water. Generously salt and bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add garlic and prosciutto strips, and cook until they have have lost their raw color and begin to crisp, about 5 minutes or less. Add spinach, stir, then remove from heat.
- When pasta is al dente, drain briefly, leaving the noodles still fairly wet. Add pasta to skillet with butter, spinach, and prosciutto mixture. Toss to combine, and let spinach wilt slightly. Serve immediately and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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