Roasted spinach linguine

Brianna Price copy editor 

Ingredients: 

1 package 1lb. whole grain linguine 

1 14.5 oz. can petite-diced tomatoes 

1 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce (I use Prego, roasted garlic & herb) 

1 cup fresh spinach, torn/cut up 

few shakes garlic powder 

Instructions: 

First, boil a large pot of water on high; once at a boil, add in the whole grain linguine and bring back to a boil. Let the linguine cook for about 15 minutes or until desired tenderness, stirring occasionally.  

In the meantime, pour the spaghetti sauce into a small pot and bring to a light boil on medium-low heat—I use Prego, roasted garlic & herb sauce, though any spaghetti sauce will do. Tear or cut up the fresh spinach into small pieces, then add to the spaghetti sauce and stir. Add a few shakes of garlic powder to the sauce for an additional roasted flavor. 

Once the linguine is finished cooking through, drain with a colander and replace the pasta into the pot. Once the sauce has boiled enough to the desired warmth, remove from heat. 

At this point, you can either serve individually in bowls or on plates, or simply add the sauce straight onto the pasta and stir, then serve. The preference is your! 

Top your serving with a few small pieces of the spinach and possibly a small shake of garlic powder for added look. 

Commentary: 

This recipe is extremely simple and basic, one of which even the busiest college student will have time to enjoy. Oftentimes, I like to cook with the simplest ingredients because I am also one of those busy college students who often does not allow herself ample time to cook good food and sit down to eat—I’m always on the go with something to do and somewhere to go! That’s why this recipe is perfect, but also with an additional healthy, vegetarian spin! 

I’ve never been a big pasta person, but I have found that pasta is one of the easiest and quickest foods to make, so I’m working to adjust myself to liking it more—with additional vegetables and spices! Really all you have to have to make this recipe work in any way is some kind of pasta and sauce, then simply throw in a little veggie and spice and you’ve just about completely twisted the usual “spaghetti dinner.” 

I made this recipe about a week ago and by using all the ingredients listed above it was able to last me the entire week and even a little more! The great thing about pasta like this is that it refrigerates well and when warmed tastes near to what it did when it was first made for dinner or lunch. Though, if you prefer to elongate your ingredients for various recipes and not use it all in bulk, that’s fine; this recipe can be adjusted for only one or two people—or whatever specific number you need—by lessening each ingredient accordingly. 

I hope you enjoy this vegetarian-twist on spaghetti amid your busy schedules!