Bart doesn’t cook.
He knows how and there was one glorious period in our marriage where he decided he’d make dinner once a week and I’d come home from class at UT-Austin to find dinner ready to be served, but he doesn’t get any sort of satisfaction out of it, so I do 99% of the cooking.
His 1% contribution is flipping the pancakes.
But he’s definitely influenced my food life, and, aside from an introduction to sushi, one of the greatest things I’ve learned from him is angel hair pasta.
I’ve never particularly cared for spaghetti, but shortly after we got married, I made it (for the important reason that I couldn’t think of anything else to make for dinner) and as I was getting ready to go to the grocery store, Bart said “Make sure you get angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti.”
Basically it blew my mind how much better angel hair pasta was than regular spaghetti noodles.
And in the last ten years, I haven’t bought regular spaghetti noodles a single time.
Balsamic vinegar pasta with spinach and cherry tomatoes
This balsamic vinegar and spinach pasta is my number one favorite way to use angel hair pasta and in the summer, when the cherry tomatoes are perfect and I want something quick, these balsamic noodles never fail me.
I mean, goat cheese pasta? Count me in.
Actually anything goat cheese, count me in.
If you like this spinach pasta with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, you might also like these pasta recipes:
- Lemon Spinach Pasta with Tomatoes
- Creamy Roasted Tomato and Chicken Pasta
- Spaghetti Carbonara (the simplest bacon and egg pasta!)
Balsamic Pasta with Spinach and Fresh Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz angel hair pasta I use whole-wheat
- 2 T balsamic vinegar
- 4 T olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 shredded cooked chicken breast
- 1 cup baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup small fresh mozzarella balls I like the smallest size
- 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
-
Boil pasta according to package directions and drain, then return to pot and sir in the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.
-
Put the chicken, spinach, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add the pasta and stir to combine then add the cheese and toss well. Salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
(adapted from Perry's Plate)
My husband doesn't cook either – not even to grill or flip pancakes. I love to cook, and he only did it out of necessity so somehow he unlearned the few things he did know. He can make homemade mac and cheese in a pinch or through an emergency handful of chicken nuggets.
One of Blaine's worst qualities is that he doesn't like angel hair pasta. Such a shame.
Bart is a good pancake flipper! He was an inspiration while I was learning to flip pancakes! The photos are lovely!
My husband was a bachelor for 10 years before we got married. He learned to cook. Well. And when we both worked, we'd alternated nights to cook. Now that I stay home with our daughter, he's becoming less and less likely to cook.
Except for ground beef taco night.
He too has really influenced my taste in food. For example, since we started dating and he cooked then for me, I have never enjoyed anybody's ground beef tacos but his. Not even my own. I feel so passionate about this that I'm not even willing to cook them if he's not home to season them and in that case, he just kicks me out of the kitchen and takes over.
I can deal with that!
Derek is totally the same way! Whenever I say we're having spaghetti for dinner he says, "Are we having spaghetti, or angel hair pasta? Because they'res a big difference." This looks delicious though, we'll have to try it soon! Also, your zucchini French Bread Pizzas were well received this week!
I really liked your other version of this, but this looks even more delicious (especially the tomatoes). And since I have a cherry tomato plant taking over my garden, this will be on the menu soon.
Getting my husband a blue apron box while I went out of town was probably the biggest leap he's ever taken in the kitchen. He's still proud of those meals (and that man can't make a muffin out of a boxed mix). Heck, if that's what it takes to get him in the kitchen, I'll order him another one or steal some recipes off their site. 🙂 He has upped his game to include breakfast foods and the like, but I'd love to get him in the kitchen one night a week.
My husband grills & thats it. He cooked when our oldest was born, kind of a disaster, but very sweet! This pasta looks awesome! I might have to make a giant batch for work next week.
I made this last night and it was glorious! I’m excited to have it leftover for lunch today!!!
Making this for dinner tonight! Thanks for the recipe!
Made this tonight and it was sooo good! Corey doesn’t usually like pasta but he went back for seconds! Mmm!
YESSSSS. I feel the same way about pasta – I’m kind of meh about it, but this one? All day, every day.
We made this tonight and loved it. I added some mushrooms too and it was a great addition. But love the idea — thanks so much!!
I made this tonight and my whole family loved it. Thank you for the recipe!
Oh yummy! This look amazing. I will definitely be giving this a try!
I would say- How can you not like peppers?! But you could ask me the same thing about watermelon and the answer is- I just don’t.
Sounds delicious either way to me!
Aw sad! No peppers, huh? This would be amazing with tomatoes anyway 🙂
I’ve made this recipe several times and we sub tomatoes for the peppers, too. Great way to use up our garden surplus. And tiny mozzarella balls are just so fun. And the whole thing is just incredibly delicious.
We are also a no-pepper family so this recipe is perfect for us. Yum.
So amazing! I love this recipe because it is easy! I look at it and think, hey, I can do that! I am by no means a world class chef and I usually look for things that are quick and easy because I just don’t have all afternoon to be in the kitchen. Can’t wait to try this.
This looks amazing and right up our alley. Thanks!
I’ve actually never tried goat cheese 🙁 This looks delish and easy, can’t wait to give it a try!
I kind of love that 95% of your recipes involve goat cheese. My kind of dinner.
Although do you really only make 8oz of pasta? We were just realizing the other night that with Nat’s ravenous eating lately (I kid you not when I say he eats as much as me at dinner…which maybe contributed to his finally getting on the weight charts), a pound of pasta barely leaves any leftovers. Maybe we’re just piggy over here…