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Menu Plan for Spring I: Week 8, Sunday

Pasta with Prosciutto, Spinach and Chevre
Fresh Fruit

Cooking time:  25 minutes for menu       Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

          This is a simple, fast pasta dish using fresh spinach.  Add in all the olives and it's almost like a salad - we are into spring now, after all!

Pasta with Spinach, Prosciutto and Chevre

Total time: 25 minutes
  The sauce cooks in less time than the pasta, so if you are using fresh pasta this can go together very quickly.  The hot pasta and sauce 'cook' the spinach lightly, so that is just barely wilted. I had both kinds of olives in the fridge, but you can use fewer, or all of one kind.

 Ingredients:

• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 10 Greek or black olives, pitted  and/or
• 10 green olives, pitted
• 1 cup (8oz, 240gr) white beans (cannellini)
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 4oz (120gr) fresh spinach
• 4oz (120gr) Prosciutto, Serrano, Bayonne (mine) or other dry-cured ham, 4 - 6 slices
• 1/2 box (2.5oz, 75gr) chevre (goat cheese) (the little cartons of creamy goat cheese, 5oz (150gr) Chavrie - U.S. Chevraux - Europe
• 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese  (Gruyère, Swiss, whatever)
• 1 1/4 cup (4oz, 120gr) dry, bite-size pasta

 Instructions

• Cook pasta according to package instructions.
• Thickly slice onions.
• Mince garlic.
• Slice ham into large strips.
• Cut olives in half.
• Drain and rinse the beans. 
• Sort through the spinach, discarding any damaged leaves, cutting the large leaves in half. 
• Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. 
• Add onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. 
• Add garlic and ham. Sauté for 10 minutes longer, until ham is slightly crispy.
• Add olives, beans, goat cheese and heat through.
• When pasta is done, drain but don't shake every last bit of water off. 
• Put the spinach on top of the sauce in the skillet, add the hot pasta on top and stir to combine. 
• Sprinkle with cheese, stir again and serve.

Fresh Fruit

Something for spring!

Cooking Schedule: 25 minutes for menu Assemble all ingredients and utensils Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, pot and colander for pasta, large skillet Put water on high heat for pasta Slice onions Mince garlic Slice ham Tend spinach Cut olives Cook pasta

Heat oil in skillet for sauce Add onions, sauté Add garlic, ham, sauté Drain beans (refrigerate half) Shred cheese if needed Add olives, beans, Chevre to skillet, heat When pasta is done put spinach on sauce Drain pasta, (not thoroughly) Put pasta on spinach, toss to combine Add shredded cheese, toss to combine Serve   - don't forget the fruit

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By Katie Zeller

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