Fusilli with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper

I saw Giada De Laurentiis make this on her show and could hardly wait to try it myself. I LOVE spinach and of course cheese and pasta. How could this not be good? 

When I finally made it for dinner one night, I added way more spinach than the originally recipe calls for and a lot less black pepper. I figured for kids, less pepper and more veggies seemed better. It was a delicious vegetarian meal. Next time I'm tossing in some toasted pine nuts too.

Fusilli with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper

Adapted by Foodism Mom from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb fusilli pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed with the back of a knife and peeled
• 2 six ounce bags (12 oz) of prewashed, organic baby spinach leaves
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (6 ounces)
• 1 cup marscapone cheese (8 ounces), at room temperature

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard.

Add the spinach and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and saute until the spinach has wilted, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the cooked pasta. Add the Pecorino Romano cheese and toss until coated.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, one teaspoon of kosher salt and the mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the remaining pasta water only if the sauce seems too thick. Pour over the pasta and toss until coated. If necessary season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and serve.