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Mediterranean Pasta with Rosemary Scented Prosciutto

Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry penne pasta
  • Olive oil
  • 1 pound grape tomatoes sliced in half
  • 1 large clove of garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 15 ounce can white beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 to 4 ounces prosciutto based on your preference
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 6 ounce container crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 6 ounce bag baby spinach leaves torn in smaller pieces
  • 2 Tablespoons creamy Greek feta dressing I prefer Seeds of Change Greek Feta Vinaigrette
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.
  2. When it comes to a boil, salt the water to taste and add the pasta, cooking according to directions.
  3. While you're waiting for the pasta water to come to a boil, heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Place one or two slices of prosciutto (or as many as you can fit in a single layer) in the pan with a pinch of the chopped fresh rosemary. The slices will bubble up quickly. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side, or until hot, lightly browned in places and a bit crispy on the edges. Continue with the balance of the prosciutto adding olive oil and rosemary as needed with each batch. Drain on paper towels and chop finely. Set aside.
  4. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil, then halved tomatoes, minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until tomatoes begin to soften, but still maintain their shape.
  5. Add salt, pepper and the 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of sugar to your taste.
  6. Add the rinsed and drained can of white beans to the tomato mixture and cook over medium heat until heated through. Keep warm on low heat while pasta finishes cooking. If your tomato mixture begins to dry out, add some of the hot pasta water from the pasta pot to bring it back.
  7. Before you drain your cooked pasta, save a cup or two of the pasta water.
  8. In a large serving bowl, layer in this order: Greek dressing, hot drained pasta, torn spinach leaves, hot tomato mixture (this will help wilt the spinach,) feta cheese, prosciutto, chopped fresh basil.
  9. Toss to mix thoroughly. Add a couple spoonfuls of pasta water if the mixture seems to need some added moisture. Serve.

Recipe Notes

*Save any extra pasta water for leftovers, which can be warmed in the microwave.

*Just add a few spoonfuls of pasta water and reheat the mixture.

*Any creamy Greek Feta dressing will work fine, sometimes I use Trader Joe's and just add a pinch of sugar to it. The dressing does make a difference though, so don't leave it out.

*A tablespoon of sugar may seem like a lot for the tomatoes, but it never comes out too sweet (for me) for the dish.

*We used to use 2 ounces of prosciutto, but everyone loves that part, so we've doubled it, but 2 ounces works fine if you don't want as much in your dish.

*The recipe is easily halved for a smaller yield.

Recipe from The Merchant Baker Copyright © 2014