Dinner...and an unexpected dessert

I love a good one pot pasta dish that’s hearty, comforting, and fresh tasting. Roasted garlic is what makes this meal different. I do not like cooked tomatoes (except in sauce when they’re pureed) so I add my cherry tomatoes at the end, but they can be roasted with the garlic for a sweeter flavor, or added in at the end raw for a fresher flavor.

Roasted Garlic Pasta with Prosciutto, Spinach and White Beans

½ lb. penne (recommended Barilla plus)

½ lb. prosciutto

6 cloves roasted garlic

1 cup white wine

2 cups baby spinach leaves

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup parmiaggiano reggiano cheese, grated

½ cup (or more) warmed chicken stock

Salt and Pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Basil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt heavily and drop in pasta. Cook 10 minutes until al dente, drain.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay prosciutto on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add roasted garlic and white wine, simmer until alcohol cooks off. Add spinach and cover, let spinach wilt, about 5 minutes. Turn heat off, add beans, pasta and cheese. Toss to coat, if dry, add chicken stock until it reaches desired sauce. Toss in tomatoes and break in prosciutto, to serve, top with parmiggiano reggiano and basil.

Roasted Garlic - I made this on Saturday and kept it in snapware for use today.

1 head of garlic

1 tbsp. extra virgin onlive oil

salt and pepper

Roast garlic at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes until golden brown.

It should look like this:

And Dessert!

(My blog, my soapbox)

When I got home tonight, there was a package on the doorstep. I was so happy to find a valentine from my parents. It contained 4 chocolate bars of fair trade chocolate (2 mint chocolate, perfect for cookies this weekend...) If you're interested, and I hope you are, visit www.lwr.org/handcraft for fair trade products.
I am so lucky to have parents who are so invested in social justice! They have educated me, and I try to educate others about such an important issue! There are so many fair trade food products to use, as well as gift items that are fair trade as well. Please take the time to read up on these issues, and consider spending a bit more on products that are fair trade. I love baking with this chocolate, and I also have fair trade vanilla, coffee, soup mix, olive oil and nuts.