Savory Pork and Spinach Pasta
Main ingredients:
 | Thinly sliced pieces of pork, such as pork belly, bacon, etc. |
 | Pasta (spaghetti, tagliatelle, etc.) |
 | Fresh or baby spinach |
 | Red onion |
 | Olive oil |
Spices, herbs and flavoring ingredients:
 | Parsley (for decoration) |
 | Garlic powder or flakes |
 | Lemon |
 | Paprika |
 | (Optional) Cayenne pepper |
 | Salt and pepper |
Pork and spinach may not be the first combination that you think of when you’re making pasta for dinner, but this is one that is a firm favorite in our house. Unlike other pastas using cream and cheese, this delicious dish uses the juices of the meat along with herbs and spices to add flavor.
You can use any small cuts of pork, pork belly, or even use a whole pork fillet for this recipe. The key is to cook the pork first with the herbs and spices, and then use the same pan to cook the onions and spinach in juices of the meat.
And with that, you have a dish that is a wonderful mix of flavors and textures. It makes for a great weeknight meal, with any leftovers that can be enjoyed the next day.
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Pork and spinach pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 100 g of pork (5-6 strips of thinly sliced pork)
- 400 g of any type of pasta eg. penne, tagliatelle, farfelle, etc. (0.9lb)
- 2 cups of fresh spinach
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot on the stove, cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Once the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta while reserving one cup of the pasta water.
- Chop the onion into small pieces, and cut the spinach into long strips.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the pork into small chunky pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the spices for the pork rub together (salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, etc).
- Add the pork into the bowl and cover each one generously with the spice mixture.
- Heat a large casserole or wok on the stove, and cook the onion in olive oil at high heat for 5 minutes until it turns golden brown.
- Add the spinach to the casserole wok and cook together with the onions and olive oil for about 3-5 minutes until it reduces.
- Remove the spinach and the onion to a separate dish.
- In the same casserole pan, cook each strip of pork at high heat for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
- Once the pork looks cooked, add the spinach and onion to the casserole and mix so that the juices from the pork cover the spinach.
- Add in the cooked pasta to the casserole pan, along with the pasta water, and mix throughly so that the sauce covers all the pasta.
- Serve while warm.
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
This delicious pork and spinach pasta can be served with an appetizer like this zucchini flan or melon au porto. You can also serve it with a salad like this Périgord salad with gizzards.
What drinks to serve with it?
For drinks, this pork and spinach pasta will go well with a young red wine like a Beaujolais or Languedoc-Roussillon.
If you don’t like red wine, try a chilled white from Provence. You can read more about French wines here.
How to store it?
This pork and spinach pasta keeps wonderfully well for at least a few days since there is no milk or cheese in it. However, the pasta can get mushy if kept too long, so I recommend cooking it al dente so that it holds its form.
Let it cool, and then place in an airtight glass container, which you can also use to transport for lunch.
