From the Garden to the Table: Fusilli with Spinach and Asiago Cheese

One of my favorite, EASY, summertime recipes calls for one pint of cherry tomatoes. I've been waiting for a big enough batch of them to ripen in the garden. And tonight we finally had enough. 

 The tomatoes in this bowl are a combination of regular red cherry tomatoes and my favorite Sungold yellow "cherry" tomatoes. The Sungolds turn a yellow-orange color when ripe, and they are unbelievably sweet.

Not only is this easy and yummy, but it's also vegetarian. AND....it's a recipe that the Big Ballerina will eat as is. No bowl of pasta with butter and cheese for her. That means she's eating spinach! Whoohooo! LB still wants hers plain, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

Are you ready? By the time you finish reading this post you could have already made it. It's that quick and simple. Here goes...

Fusilli with Spinach and Asiago Cheese

adapted from a Giada de Laurentis recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound fusilli pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 (9-ounce) bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 16 ounces (1 pint) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup (about 3 1/2-ounces) grated Asiago
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. Meanwhile, warm olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Press the garlic cloves into the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

3. Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften and release their juices, about 2 minutes if they're nice and ripe.

4. Add the spinach and cook until it just begins to wilt, about 1 minute.

It should look like this...

5. Add the cooked pasta and toss. Add the cheeses, pepper, and if necessary, some of the pasta cooking liquid. (Since I use very ripe tomatoes and cook them until their juices release, I usually don't need any extra water.) Stir to combine.

 6. Transfer to bowls. If you're cheese lovers like we are, grate a bit of extra Pecorino Romano on top. Serve.

See? I told you it was EASY. Now go make it!