Greek Penne

Name: Greek Penne
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4-6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 12 ounces penne pasta; 5 teaspoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons pine nuts; 5 garlic cloves, minced; 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed; 1 small onion, chopped; 1/2 cup white wine; 1/2 cup water; 4 large plum tomatoes, chopped; 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese; 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; parmesan cheese, for topping

Submitted by Dedee Royale

"Here's an easy dish that always gets compliments. The feta cheese and pine nuts give this pasta its Greek nature. I've reduced the fat by mixing in fat-free cottage cheese."

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photo by Karen Elizabeth

Ready In:: 30mins
Ingredients:: 15
Serves:: 4-6

ingredients

12 ounces penne pasta
5 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 small onion, chopped
¹⁄₂ cup white wine
¹⁄₂ cup water
4 large plum tomatoes, chopped
¹⁄₂ cup fat-free cottage cheese
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
¹⁄₂ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
parmesan cheese, for topping

directions

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside.
In a skillet, add 3 teaspoons of the olive oil and heat gently.
Add onion, garlic and pine nuts and cook till onions are translucent.
Stir in drained spinach, tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add wine and water. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, blend feta cheese and cottage cheese with a pastry blender.
Place drained pasta into skillet and heat, drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and toss.
Add cheese mixture, spinach mixture, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes and toss again.
Heat for about 2 more minutes.
Serve immediately into plates. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

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Reviews

Delightful dish! It definitely had a Mediterranean touch and I loved the pine nuts. And it's so easy to prepare, too. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing your recipe, Dedee Royale. Made for Spring 2013 Pick-A-Chef.

NorthwestGal
Very good, very simple. I used baby spinach leaves, simply mixing them in and letting them cook, and a lovely soft feta that I get from a local market. The pine nuts are always a lovely addition, and overall, this is a fresh and tasty pasta dish that is sure to get compliments, we really enjoyed it. Thanks Dedee, made for PAC Fall 2011

Karen Elizabeth

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Dedee Royale

212

I have been a gourmet cook for over 40 years. In the mid 70's I owned and operated my own gourmet bistro in Connecticut called Le Petit Gourmet and also provided a catering service for upscale clientele. I always had an entrepreneurial soul and was a front runner in developing frozen gourmet dinners. Because of a divorce, I didn't follow through which probably would have made me a very rich lady today. In 1994, I founded the South Coast Gourmet Club in Florida, The South Shore Gourmet Club in Massachusetts and also the Chef Buddies Club. In 2012, I was chosen as one of the 100 amateur chefs out of the 50,000 who competed nationwide, to appear on Season 3 of Master Chef on ABC.  I didn't make it through but it was an unforgettable experience.

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