Fresh Pasta with Tomatoes, Olives & Baby Spinach

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh spinach pasta, cooked “al dente”
1 pint grape tomatoes
⅔ cup mixed olive tapenade
2 Tbsp. basil, chopped
½ cup romano cheese, shredded
¼ tsp. anchovy paste
1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
2 handfuls baby spinach
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Method

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a sauce pot.

Add garlic and anchovy and cook until golden brown, for almost 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook over medium heat until they start to burst, about 8-10 minutes.

Crush any remaining whole tomatoes and simmer another 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place pasta, tapenade, basil, and cheese, and baby spinach into a bowl. Add tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

What is “al denti” pasta?
The Italian expression al dente describes pasta that has been cooked so as to be firm but not hard. It is often considered to be the ideal form of cooked pasta. The term means "to the tooth", referring to the need to chew the pasta due to its firmness. Pasta that is cooked al dente has a lower glycemic index than pasta that is cooked soft.