Meatless Meal- Shallot Pasta

Around this time of year I start running out of ideas for "no meat-Friday" dinners. Thought I'd share a recent favorite of mine- shallot spaghetti. This dish is very simple to throw together and it packs a lot of flavor! Don't worry if you're not a huge onion fan shallots are much more mild and sweet- give it a try!  I also find that this dish lends itself well to whole-wheat spaghetti because it gives it a nice nutty flavor that makes you not miss the meat. I like to pair this with an arugula salad and some shrimp cocktail to round it out. 

(p.s. I much rather make it with a little crispy pancetta garnished on top to give it a little more texture and amp up the taste, as it is shown below- but we all have to sacrifice sometimes right!?)

Total Cook Time: 35 minutes
You will need:

8-10 shallots depending on size
2-3 handfuls of baby spinach

1 lb spaghetti (save about 1/2 cup cooking water)

Garlic

Olive oil
Butter

3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

*Optional prosciutto or pancetta- few slices

First up get your water on to boil and then peel and chop up shallots, garlic and pancetta...

Then heat a liberal amount of olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat in a high-sided skillet. Add pancetta/proscuitto if using, and crisp it up and set aside.  Then add butter, garlic and shallots to the oil and cook slowly to let them caramelize, about 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Then throw in the baby spinach and stir around to let it wilt. . .

Stir in the resereved pasta water to help get brown bits incorporated into the sauce...

Then use tongs to add in cooked pasta and grate cheese liberally into pan, toss to coat evenly..

Top with crispy salty goodness (pancetta/proscuitto) and serve!