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Rigatoni pasta is tossed in garlicky olive oil, spinach, crispy toasted breadcrumbs, and chili flakes. A fantastic quick and tasty 20-minute dinner!
Eating less meat is one of the things I’m striving for this year. And this garlicky rigatoni tossed with spinach and toasted breadcrumbs makes it easy. It’s the latest addition to our weeknight dinner rotation and I don’t see it going anywhere anytime soon. It’s just too quick and simple to pass up! Not to mention the fact that we always have the ingredients on hand. (You probably do, too.) With minimal effort, this hearty rigatoni pasta can be on your plate in 20 minutes. And since it’s free of meat, it’s the perfect Meatless Monday feast.
Rigatoni pasta is perfect for this dish.
The word rigatoni is derived from the Italian word rigato, which means “ridged” or “lined”, hence the ridges on the pasta. These ridges make for a clingy surface, allowing things like sauces and cheeses to stick to them much better than smoother pastas, like ziti. Here, the robust clingy rigatoni picks up all of that garlicky goodness, cooked spinach, and toast-y breadcrumbs for a delectable mouthful. You can use any pasta shape you’d like, though. I’m just here to tell you rigatoni is the best choice ;)
This dish was inspired by spaghetti aglio e olio, which is what I meant to make the night this recipe was born. But I decided to change things up at the last minute when I noticed we had an abundance of rigatoni in our pantry. We also had a fair amount of baby spinach in our fridge that was going to quit at life in a day or two, lol.
How to make this recipe.
While the rigatoni cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic. Stirring often, let the garlic simmer for about a minute, until aromatic. Scoop 1 cup of pasta water from your boiling rigatoni and add it to the skillet, then add the spinach. Keep tossing and stirring it around in the hot pan until all of it has wilted down, about 5-7 minutes.
Finally, stir in the chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
Heat a small dry saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, dump the Italian breadcrumbs into the pan and let them toast for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and aromatic. Be sure to shake the pan often to prevent burning.
When the rigatoni is done, drain it and transfer it to the skillet with the garlic and spinach. Add half of the toasted breadcrumbs and give it a good toss. Add the parmesan and the rest of the breadcrumbs, and stir again. (Adding the toasted breadcrumbs in two segments prevents clumping and gives better coverage.) Season to taste, and dig in!
I hope you dig this simple pasta dish as much as we do. And if you’re looking to fill your Meatless Mondays with more delicious pasta recipes, check out my Lazy Skillet Lasagna or my Instant Pot Pasta Primavera.
Tag me on Instagram if you make this! @killing__thyme
Garlicky Rigatoni Pasta with Spinach and Toasted Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled, and sliced
- 1 cup pasta water
- 5 oz roughly chopped or ribboned baby spinach (about 4 cups)
- 1 tsp crushed chili flakes (optional), More or less depending on your heat preference
- 1/2 cup toasted Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rigatoni pasta as per the instructions on the packaging.
- While the rigatoni cooks, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the garlic. Stirring often, let the garlic simmer for about a minute, until aromatic. Scoop 1 cup of pasta water from your boiling rigatoni and add it to the skillet, then add the spinach. Keep tossing and stirring it around in the hot pan until all of it has wilted down, about 5-7 minutes. Finally, stir in the chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Heat a small dry saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, dump the Italian breadcrumbs into the pan and let them toast for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and aromatic. Be sure to shake the pan often to prevent burning.
- When the rigatoni is done, drain it and transfer it to the skillet with the garlic and spinach. Add half of the toasted breadcrumbs and give it a good toss. Add the parmesan and the rest of the breadcrumbs, and stir again. Adding the toasted breadcrumbs in two segments prevents clumping and gives better coverage.
- Taste, and season with salt and pepper to your taste. Add extra chili flakes if you're up to it!
I made this and it was fantastic! I used almond meal instead of breadcrumbs but the procedure worked well for that too. Accidentally ended up eating more pasta than anticipated haha
Oopsie! I’ve done that more times than I care to admit, lol ;) So glad you enjoyed it!
Now a staple in our house
I got made fun of for 3 weeks for making this. Just doesn’t work.
Well that’s no fun. Sorry to hear that! What didn’t work for you? What was the issue?
I’ve made this recipe twice now—absolutely delicious. As a big fan of both garlic and olive oil, I seriously couldn’t get enough lol. There was also just enough spice with the red pepper chili flakes. Thank you so much for sharing!
Sandy! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this one. It’s so simple and quick, too. A lifesaver some days, haha. Thanks for the feedback :)