Pasta with Spinach & Quinoa

Background Story for Pasta with Spinach & Quinoa

It is amazing how we are all are wired up differently, and with this wiring, we all have different things that take us back to childhood. For the last few nights, I have been taking a quick five minute walk in the neighborhood in order to get a whisp of the slightly cool, fresh air and to hear the sound of the crickets. These two things have been my favorite since I was a kid. They remind me of visiting my relatives in Memphis and hearing the calming effect of the crickets at night.

About a week ago, I was trying to decide what to make for dinner. My mind landed on the box of pasta that was still in the cabinet. I decided to jazz it up with my two favorite ingredients for most meals: spinach and diced tomatoes.

Here is the recipe:

Total Prepping and Cooking Time:

45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 box of penne pasta
• 2 jars of tomato and basil pasta sauce
• 1 tablespoon of thyme
• 3 tablespoons of parsley
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of cut-leaf spinach
• 1/3 cup of quinoa
• 1/4 cup of oil

Directions:

• Boil a pot of water, adding the oil to the water to prevent the pasta from sticking.
• Add the pasta and the quinoa once the water has started boiling.
• While the pasta and quinoa are cooking, saute the spinach and diced tomatoes.
• Drain the pasta and quinoa in a colander and dump them back into the pot.
• Dump all the rest of the ingredients into the pot and stir.
• Eat and enjoy!

Food for thought:

What foods do you eat, or activities do you participate in that take you back to your childhood? Would love to hear your comments!