Pasta Puttanesca

My kitchen energy comes and goes in spurts. Sometimes, I'm able to stand at the stove and comfortably whip up a dinner and/or my latest dessert craving. More often than not, though, a recipe that would normally take 30 minutes tends to take me about 45-50, since I'll take some sitting breaks to rest my back. I love being pregnant, don't get me wrong...but I get frustrated at only being able to function at 60% of my normal pace!

This dinner was one of those chop-sit-stir-sit-mix-sit-sit-sit-eat deals. Still delicious, even though it took me a while! The pictures aren't so great, but I blame our old camera. I think we should invest in a new one before Baby gets here.

It's from Ellie Kreiger's Healthy Appetite collection, and she's got some great recipes there. Very little fat, a ton of flavor, and lots of good ideas for replacements in order to make things more healthy. The only thing I left out of this one was anchovy paste because it's hard to find and really, yuck. Overall, though, a nice pasta dish, with a good salty bite. And it made a TON, so we had plenty for lunch leftovers.

Enjoy!

Pasta Puttanesca

adapted from Ellie Kreiger

Ingredients:
8 ounces whole-wheat thin spaghetti, vermicelli or angel hair
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pitted chopped Spanish or Greek olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably "no salt added"
3/4 cup chopped fresh arugula
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and crushed red pepper to the skillet, and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the arugula and simmer for 1 minute more, until the greens wilt slightly.

When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet, tossing it with the sauce to combine. Top with grated cheese.