During the summer we are super busy on the farm. I’m not even kidding when I say I was putting steak on my grill the other day at 10:40. See, we only have a few, very few, nice weeks of summer weather here. Since it’s my favorite time of the year and we love to be outside we soak up every last minute of every day. The kids and I stay outside until the “Big Boss” calls it a day. Then we meander inside and get going on dinner and showers. I’m okay with this schedule because it only lasts for a little while.
When we finally do get inside, the boys are starving and I’m not in the mood to cook. Imagine that, at 10:40 p.m. I’m not ready to pull out all of the stops and make a show stopper meal. Tomato Basil Pasta is one of those side dishes I look forward to all year long. It’s easy, doesn’t heat the house up and every one likes it! Adding grilled chicken turns it into a meal!
Remember how I said we only have a few weeks of warm summer weather here? That means our growing season is extra short. I don’t usually have access to fresh herbs in the grocery store either. So when my basil plants in my garden start looking like this…I can hardly contain myself!
My tomatoes are actually going to produce tomatoes this year! I have to tell you the tomatoes for this pasta did not come from my garden. But soon they will!
How can you go wrong with parsley? It makes everything fresh and pretty!
If you find yourself starting to make dinner at 10:40 at night make Tomato Basil Pasta! It’s fabulous for late nights, or any time really! Oh ya, I used my Basil Pesto recipe for this, which I keep in the fridge at all times once my basil is big enough to use. If you don’t have any pesto or basil you could always buy some pesto. I’m telling you, if you grew basil in your garden you would fall in love!
Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bowtie pasta cooked to al dente
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 2 diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2. Tablespoons butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Optional Garnish
- parmesan cheese
- freshly ground black pepper and salt
- parsley or basil
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
- Add heavy cream, butter, cream cheese, parmesan, and pesto to the saucepan. I use the same pan I use to cook the pasta. Whisk while cooking over medium heat until the sauce is smooth.
- Add diced tomatoes and spinach to the sauce. Stir. Remove from heat.
- Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add additional cream to thin the sauce to desired consistency.
- Garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley or basil and grated parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
Deb Harris says
I just found your blog today & I’ve been looking at all of it & really enjoying it. This pasta dish sounds so summery!( I have to try a month Gluten free for a month, I’ll make it normally for my husband & sons. Hopefully I can find a good free pasta too. I’ve already saved sev recipes already & I’m sure I’ll find many more. I was hoping to subscribe by email but don’t see it offered. I’m about to check pinterest & will check the blog when I can. Hope you might consider adding email subscription as an option.
Amy Engberson says
I’m so glad you are finding recipes to try! So sorry about the gluten free diet. My friend is on a gluten free diet and I know she has tried some gluten free pastas. Hopefully you can find some too! If you click on the RSS feed it will send you an email every time I post. I’m checking into a different email subscription right now. Thanks for stopping by!