Recipe: Easy Spinach & Feta Mostaccioli

This super-simple recipe tastes like a fancy restaurant dish; all you need for a fabulous dinner is just 5 ingredients, and a few minutes to put it together! Serves about 4 people as a main dish, or more with salad and bread or other side dishes.  You can also stretch this further by adding meat or other protein.

Easy Spinach & Feta Mostaccioli

Ingredients:

Mostaccioli pasta. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

16 oz mostaccioli or penne pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cans (15 oz size) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and liquid squeezed out
1/2 to 1 cup crumbled feta
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Put a big pot of salted water on the stove on high to boil.
• Put another pot on the stove on medium, add the oil, and when it gets hot, add the diced tomatoes and the spinach, stir and let simmer on low, stirring occasionally.  The mixture should bubble slowly - not boil.
• When the water in the big pot comes to a boil, drop in the pasta and cook according to package directions, but be sure to not let it get soft, just al dente.
• Drain pasta well, then add to tomato-spinach mixture in pot, stir to combine, and let simmer together until heated through, 1 or 2 minutes, then add feta, stir, and remove from heat.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
• Serve hot.