1 week Ago By [email protected] (Tiffany Betts)
The main dish of a meal is often the star of the show, but some side dishes are so rich and decadent that they demand more attention. That's the case with Daily Meal's ultimate creamed spinach recipe . Whether you make it as a tasty side dish to serve with salmon or steak, it will linger in your mind (and mouth) as a highlight.
Since the recipe makes six servings, though, what do you do with all the leftovers if you're only serving two or three people? Add it to your next pasta dish, of course! Creamed spinach makes a fantastically creamy sauce to add to fettuccine, linguine, or tagliatelle. However, you don't have to make it from scratch every time you want it. It's easy to use the leftover creamed spinach from your refrigerator.
Just cook your pasta as directed in salted boiling water until it's al dente, and save about 1 cup of the pasta water when you drain it. Then, when you heat up the creamed spinach, you can use that reserved water to thin it out, if needed. After folding the pasta into the creamed spinach, season it with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese.
Ways to customize your creamed spinach pasta There are many ways you can change up a creamed spinach pasta recipe into something slightly new. The most basic substitution is the type of pasta you use — just the shape alters the presentation and texture of your dish. However, bear in mind that the pasta shape matters more than you think .
Pappardelle, fettuccine, tagliatelle, or any other long, flat pasta pairs best with a rich sauce like creamed spinach. Compared to the thin surface of angel hair noodles or spaghetti, these pasta shapes have more surface area to hold the heavier consistency of the sauce. To make your pasta a complete main dish, consider adding a protein.
Chicken, salmon, and shrimp are very versatile options that work perfectly with white, creamy sauces. All of these add texture and flavor to the pasta. Since creamed spinach already pairs well with steak as a side dish, thinly slicing some of this protein into your bowl will add complementary fatty flavors.
Mushrooms and silken tofu, on the other hand, are ideal vegetarian options that can add depth of flavor and texture, as well as additional nutritional value..
