Garlic Spinach Noodles

When I’m planning meals for the week, the thing I struggle with most is coming up with side dishes – particularly starchy ones. Vegetables are easy, but starches are much harder for me. Usually we have some kind of rice or some kind of potato, but it gets a little bit boring after a while (to me, at least; my husband and sons could eat boxed rice pilaf every day for the rest of their lives and be perfectly happy). When I saw this recipe for garlic spinach noodles, I couldn’t wait to try it. It seemed like a great side dish, and a way to sneak some spinach into my boys’ diet – for which I’m always grateful.

We all really liked these noodles. Their flavor is sweet, tangy, and garlicky – a really nice combination of flavors. Tomorrow I’ll share the chicken I made to go with them.

Garlic Spinach Noodles
adapted from Recipes Straight From the Kowboys Home

8 ounces penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with hot water; drain and keep warm.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together chicken broth, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Add spinach to pan along with vinegar mixture; reduce heat to medium-low and cook until spinach is hot. Stir in pasta and heat through. Remove from heat and toss with cheese.