Description
This 15 Minute Super Green Rigatoni is a quick, comforting, and nutritious pasta dish featuring a silky smooth spinach and parmesan sauce, elevated with crunchy chili oil toasted breadcrumbs and a hint of anchovy (or miso) for umami depth. Perfect for busy weeknights, it uses simple ingredients and delivers vibrant flavors in no time.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Breadcrumbs and Topping
- 1 tablespoon chili oil (or olive oil)
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 anchovies (or 2 teaspoons white miso paste)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 9 oz / 250 g spinach leaves
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 oz / 30 g parmesan + 2 tablespoons to serve
- 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)
For the Pasta
- 7 oz / 200 g rigatoni (or any pasta shape of your choice)
To Finish
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
Instructions
- Toast Breadcrumbs: Heat 1 tablespoon of chili oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and stir continuously for about 4 minutes until they turn golden brown and give off a toasty aroma. Remove from heat and transfer breadcrumbs to a bowl to keep crisp.
- Cook Aromatics: In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add finely diced onion and 1 teaspoon salt, cooking for a couple of minutes until softened and slightly translucent. Add the sliced garlic and anchovies (or white miso paste) and press them down with the back of your spoon to dissolve into the oil. Stir for another minute to combine flavors.
- Boil Pasta: Meanwhile, fill a large pot about two-thirds full with water, add 1 tablespoon salt, and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes or according to package instructions.
- Cook Spinach: Add the spinach to the pan with the onions and garlic. Stir for about a minute until the spinach wilts, turns a darker green, and reduces in volume as it releases its water.
- Blend Sauce: Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, the 1 oz parmesan, and approximately one ladle of reserved pasta cooking water. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the blender sides as needed. Add more pasta water to achieve a silky, creamy sauce consistency.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Return the blended green sauce to the pan. Drain the pasta and add it directly into the sauce, tossing gently with tongs or a spatula to coat all pasta evenly. Add extra pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and parmesan if desired.
- Serve: Divide the rigatoni between serving plates. Drizzle each with ½ tablespoon chili oil, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and crispy toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately and enjoy a flavorful, vibrant meal.
Notes
- This recipe is highly versatile—feel free to substitute spinach with other leafy greens like kale or swiss chard based on what you have.
- Using pasta water is essential for creating a creamy sauce without cream—it adds silkiness and helps the sauce cling to the pasta perfectly.
- For the umami punch, anchovies add a nice depth, but white miso paste is a great vegetarian alternative if preferred.
- To speed up pasta cooking, boiling water in an electric kettle beforehand is a helpful time-saving trick.
- The crispy breadcrumbs add texture contrast—don’t skip toasting them to get that satisfying crunch.
- Adjust chili oil quantity according to your tolerance for heat; it provides a lovely flavor kick but can be omitted for milder tastes.
- Serve this dish fresh to enjoy the vibrant green color and crunchy breadcrumb topping at their best.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 250 g
- Calories: 599 kcal
- Sugar: 5.9 g
- Sodium: 1214.8 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 93.8 g
- Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 25.6 g
- Cholesterol: 13.6 mg
