I was looking for something simple, yet impressive to make.... and comforting. Comforting often means creamy, rich and fattening by my standards. If you are looking for a low-calorie, heart healthy main dish, I’m sorry to disappoint! As “they” say: most things in moderation. (Does anyone know who “they” are so we can thank them appropriately for these sage pearls of wisdom?)
Tagliatelle al Mascarpone e Spinaci translated means simply, tagliatelle (a type of long, ribboned egg noodle, similar to fettucini) in a mascarpone (a soft Italian cheese, much like cream cheese) with fresh spinach. I didn’t have any tagliatelle, nor could I find any in the store on this particular day. It’s not an elusive or unusual pasta, but I wasn’t going far and wide in my quest to prepare this dish. It’s easily substituted with any long, flat noodle which I am sure is available at Cascio’s. I chose its egg based cousin, pappardelle. (Perhaps taking time to explain the different pasta shapes and the best sauces to accompany them would be a good lesson for another day.)
Tagliatelle al Mascarpone e Spinaci
1 pound of tagliatelle or similar pasta
1 and 1/2 T butter
1 clove garlic
10 oz of fresh spinach leaves* (I used a bag of baby spinach and did not bother to finely chop it as the recipe suggests. It was perfect)
1/4 pint of double cream or whipping cream
5 oz (about 2/3 cup) of mascarpone cream cheese
a little chicken stock (about 1/2 - 3/4 cup)
salt and black pepper
Melt the butter and add the garlic, whole, allowing it to turn golden brown. Add the finely chopped* spinach and cook over a low heat until tender. In a large separate pan, put the cream and mascarpone, add a little stock to dilute, add salt and pepper to taste.
Allow to simmer gently on low for several minutes.
Cook the pasta, following the packet directions very carefully to avoid overcooking. Remove the garlic from the spinach. Drain the pasta, and turn it into the pan with the cream, mixing it well. Transfer into a warm serving bowl and top with the spinach. Mix and serve at once.
This dish goes well with a nice chianti and a fresh loaf of Italian bread! Mangia!
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