Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato, Spinach, and Burrata

Yum! If you haven't had burrata before, you're in for a treat. It's fresh mozzarella stuffed with cream, a.k.a. rich, indulgent luxury. That's right, it's not world's healthiest cheese but it's so luscious and creamy that a little bit goes a long way. In my opinion, I'd rather splurge on a small amount of the good stuff than have a large amount of mediocre ingredients.

I made this dish as a stand alone since it's already filled with veggies, is bulked up by whole wheat spaghetti, and the burrata makes it filling. This dish was more than enough for my husband and myself - but feel free to make a side dish and spread it out over even more people!

Difficulty: easy
Time: 30 min



Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato, Spinach, and Burrata
Ingredients:
1 box thin whole wheat spaghetti
3 tbsp olive oil
1 c cherry tomatoes (I used Zima), sliced in half
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 c fresh spinach
4 oz burrata cheese, chopped into bite-size pieces

Get some water boiling and cook your spaghetti according to the directions on the box, but skip all salt or added fat. Just use water! I break the spaghetti in half before boiling it to make it a bit easier to eat afterwards, but that is only for my personal preference.

Get a large pan heating over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, swirling to coat. Add the sliced cherry tomatoes and let them sear, unstirred, for about 2 minutes. Stir and let them sear for 1 more minute. Remove and place on a heat. Return the now empty pan to the heat.

Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, once again swirling to coat. Add the garlic and crushed pepper and let it saute for 1-2 minutes. It should brown very lightly and produce a fragrant smell. Add the can of diced tomatoes. Stir and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes. Add the black pepper and spinach. Place a lid on the pan to let the spinach steam and wilt. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes or until the spinach is nearly wilted, stirring once or twice throughout the process.

Add the cherry tomatoes back as well as the drained and cooked spaghetti. Toss and mix well. Remove from heat, top with the burrata, and enjoy!

Servings: 4
Serving size: 2-3 c
Nutrition: calories 550; carbs 80g; fat 20g; protein 19g; sodium 149mg; iron 23mg