This healthy and delicious Pomodoro pasta will become your favorite weeknight dinner, it is easy to make and its flavor is incredible. The creamy sauce is full of spicy tomato flavor, are you going to miss it?
Is there anything better than creamy tomato paste? of course not! Large, hearty rigatoni noodles are topped with a creamy, spicy, and delicious tomato sauce. Also, it is a healthy pasta dish because there are quite a few delicious stir-fry vegetables here too that give this recipe all the flavor and aroma. This recipe begins with a delicate marinara sauce that will become your favorite. Aside from using it to make the creamy pasta sauce in this final recipe, it's a quick, simple pantry-based recipe that you should keep in your pocket so you can dress any other recipe that calls for it. It's delicious with pasta, pizza, or even spaghetti. The best part is that to thicken we do not use cream or cheese, its preparation is quite healthy. To make the creamy Pomodoro sauce, simply mix the marinara with cashews and tomato paste. Try it!
Ingredients
For Basic marinara
- 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of finely minced shallot
- 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon of sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon of cane sugar
- Pinch of dried oregano
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
For Creamy Tomato Sauce
- Marinara
- ¼ cup of raw cashews
- ½ tablespoon of tomato paste
- ¼ cup of water
- ¼ cup of pasta water
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon of sea salt
For the pasta
- 10 ounces rigatoni
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced into thin half-moons
- 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves
- 2 14-ounce cans Mutti Cherry Tomatoes, drained
- 6 cups of spinach or a mix of spinach & arugula
- ¼ cup of chopped parsley or sliced basil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the marinara sauce: Heat the olive oil in a small pot over low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and their juices, balsamic vinegar, cane sugar, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Make the creamy sauce: Add the marinara to a blender with the cashews, tomato paste, salt, and ¼ cup of water. Blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use. Before serving, stir in ¼ cup hot pasta cooking water to loosen it up so that it’ll nicely coat the pasta.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions or until al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, heat generous drizzles of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, thyme, and generous pinches of salt and pepper. Sautee, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes or until heated through. Add the spinach and gently toss until wilted. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
- Scoop the pasta into individual bowls, add scoops of the creamy sauce, and toss to coat. Distribute the vegetables among the bowls and top with parsley and or basil. Season to taste and serve.