Meatless Monday: Creamy Tomato Sauce Pasta with Olives, Spinach, and Mushrooms

My kid can tolerate dairy! After 6 months of being off the good stuff, I am able to have cheese, yogurt, cream, and all the other good things that comes from cows. This needed to be celebrated. I decided to make a creamy pasta dish that also incorporated a bunch of veggies, in honor of Meatless Monday. I didn’t want to throw myself into a dairy overdose, so I chose a tomato-based sauce, as opposed to something extra creamy (like alfredo or something).

Ingredients:

1 package of linguine, prepared

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1 can of black olives, sliced

80z of mushrooms, sliced

3 handfuls of baby spinach

1 cup of tomato sauce (I used a garlic and basil variety)

1 cup of plain yogurt

salt/pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Prepare the noodles as directed. Drain and put back in pot.

2. In a larger frying pan, warm up some olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are soft.

3. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives. Allow the mushrooms to release their juices, stirring regularly.

4. Add the spinach, stirring constantly, mixing the other veggies and spinach. Allow spinach to wilt.

5. Add the sauce to the veggies. Simmer until warm.

6. Mix the veggies into the noodles. Add the yogurt. Season to desired taste.

I really liked this meal. It was a perfect late-spring dinner, especially with the rare overcast days we’ve been having here. It was a hearty meal, very filling. I loved the mixing of veggies. Next time, I’d make it with Greek yogurt, as opposed to regular yogurt. I think it would have made the sauce a bit creamier. Plus, I love the zip of Greek yogurt. And the protein.