A Healthier Pasta - Kamut Be?

I love pasta. It’s my ultimate comfort food, and I could probably eat it for every meal. There are so many different ways to enjoy it! It can be varied to feature seasonal items. It can be served hot, with a nice sauce, or cold in a pasta salad. It’s perfection when it’s done traditional Italian style like marinara, bolognese, pesto, alfredo, primavera, lasagna, puttanesca, pescatore… All yummy! I also love the Asian takes; in chow mein, pad thai and pho, to name a few. And let’s not forget good old chicken noodle soup. Basically, I just love the stuff, and I will take it any way I can get it.

Now, let’s face it: pasta is not exactly celebrated as the next super food. It definitely can be part of a healthy diet, but it’s probably not the first thing your health professional will recommend. As someone who tries to balance delicious and nutritious, I am always looking for ways to increase the health content of my meals. White flour just doesn’t offer as much as I’d like it to nutrient- wise. I love whole wheat, but not in pasta… the texture is just weird. So what’s a gal who loves pasta but wants to eat healthy to do? Kamut pasta (always available at La Bottega), that’s what.

I had heard of Kamut before tasting this pasta but I couldn’t really tell you what it was, other than that it’s not white flour. So I did some research, and as it turns out, Kamut is actually a trademark for commercially-produced Khorasan wheat, a grain that originates in an area that is now part of Afghanistan and Iran. It is similar to mainstream wheat, but has more protein, fibre and essential minerals selenium and manganese. The best part about the Kamut pasta? It tastes great! I really liked the texture as well as the nutty flavour. This stuff will definitely be part of my pasta repertoire, and I’m super excited about it.

To make this recipe, I looked at what was in my fridge and needed to be used immediately… a great start to a pasta meal! Then I added some pantry staples, and voila! Kamut pasta with spinach and tomato. Quick, easy and delicious. This dish can also obviously be made with regular pasta too. I hope you will enjoy it. Buon appetito!

Kamut Pasta with Spinach and Tomato

Ingredients:

-2-3 cups dry Kamut pasta

-2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

-2-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1 or 2 fresh tomatoes, or more if small, or a 28 oz can of tomatoes

-3 cups spinach

-Salt and pepper, to taste

-Parmesan cheese (as desired, for serving)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve about ¼ to ½ cup pasta water. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, including all the liquid, and some salt and pepper. Add spinach, toss with tomatoes and cook until wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Add more salt and pepper, if desired. Add pasta and just enough pasta water to create a sauce (but not so much that it becomes watery). Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.