tagliatelle with spinach

This is a simple recipe from The Silver Spoon, a huge cookbook that proclaims itself "Italy's best selling cookbook for 50 years" (I don't know if this is true, but it the several of the 2000+ recipes I've tried so far have been great). I'm always looking for new ways to dress up fresh pasta, so I have more motivation to keep practicing.  This is an excellent recipe for just that purpose.  (And I promise I've had more to eat in the last few days than just carbs -- will try to post something other than pasta next!)

Grocery list: butter, 1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, 1 onion, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 1 batch fresh tagliatelle, 1 cup heavy cream.

picture of the pasta


Start by cooking the fresh spinach in boiling water for 4-5 minutes; drain well and chop. Finely chop the onion. Heat 2-3 T butter in a heavy skillet, then cook the onion over medium-low heat until softened (5-10 minutes).



Add the spinach and cook for a couple more minutes; season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle half of the parmesan. I veered away from the recipe by stirring in about 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese at this point, to add a little more protein and creamy texture (it was delicious).

Cook the tagliatelle in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain, and return to the pan and toss with 2 T of butter. Grease a lasagna pan with butter, then assemble the dish. Layer the cooked tagliatelle with the spinach mixture and sprinkles of remaining parmesan, finishing with a top layer of spinach.



Pour 1 cup of heavy cream over the top, sprinkle the rest of the parmesan, then cook in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until bubbling and the top starts to brown.