An easy, quick, and tasty recipe. The flavors are wonderfully different as they are combined and meld together.
It's excellent but I made LOTS of changes based on other reviews. I chopped tomatoes from a 28-oz can of tomatoes. I used a 15 oz. can of lima butter beans instead of cannellini beans. I sauteed three diced garlic cloves in 2 Tbsp olive oil and began the sauce with that. I addded 1 tsp basil and 1 tsp oregano to the sauce. I doubled the amount of pasta (to 16 oz.) to serve all five people in my family. I crumbled 8 oz. of feta cheese and mixed it with the entire pasta/sauce mixture instead of just putting it on top. I think it's great now.
Read MoreThis recipe was not a keeper at my house. Not very flavorful!
Read MoreIt's excellent but I made LOTS of changes based on other reviews. I chopped tomatoes from a 28-oz can of tomatoes. I used a 15 oz. can of lima butter beans instead of cannellini beans. I sauteed three diced garlic cloves in 2 Tbsp olive oil and began the sauce with that. I addded 1 tsp basil and 1 tsp oregano to the sauce. I doubled the amount of pasta (to 16 oz.) to serve all five people in my family. I crumbled 8 oz. of feta cheese and mixed it with the entire pasta/sauce mixture instead of just putting it on top. I think it's great now.
Initially this sounded good...but then I read the so-called reviews. There were so many changes/additions/deletions I didn't know where to begin. Ladies, make the recipe as is. If you feel the need to change things & not just tweek...submit your own recipe. Otherwise just submit tweeks, not major changes! Sorry for the rant, but I get so tired of reading about a wonderful recipe only to find out it's only wonderful if you make the following major changes...
I thought this was a great simple meal - easy to make and so good! I also used plain diced tomatoes instead of the italian style. I sauteed some garlic and onion first, added the tomatoes along with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, and some italian seasoning and let simmer for about a half hour, then adding the beans, fresh basil, and spinach. Absolutely delicious!! Will be making on a regular basis... mmmm...
This was great but I'll tell you what I did.... after cooking and draining the pasta and putting it back in the pot, I put the spinach right on top and then the sauce - spinach did not get soggy and was very good - this is a keeper for me!!
We loved this dish. I will make this over and over again. Super fast, easy and cheap! I made some changes. Sautéed a little onion and 3 cloves of garlic in olive oil, then added a little sherry and let it cook down. Only had plain canned tomatoes so I added a good Tbsp of Mediterranean seasoning, 1 Tbsp of sugar, black pepper and cayenne pepper to them. Added sliced black olives and had to use frozen spinach which I drained well and only used ½ of the box. That worked fine. All I had was fettuccini so I tossed it with the tomato mixture and had to add a little chicken broth because it was a little dry. Excellent!
Great recipe! Like other reviewers, I also sauteed some garlic (2 cloves) in a teaspoon of olive oil and added basil, oregano, and ground white pepper for an extra kick. I might try a pinch of crushed red pepper next time.
Excellent recipe! I'm always looking for non-meat main dishes to serve on Fridays during Lent, and this one fit the bill perfectly! I did use the plain diced tomatoes and added fresh basil and minced garlic as recommended by other reviewers. I also added some sliced black olives, and used tomato-basil flavored feta cheese on top. It was wonderful! I will definitely be making this again!
Good recipe as is, affordable and tasty. We used whole wheat penne and reduced fat feta. My 14 month old loved it, it was the first time she's had spinach. Thanks for the recipe, this will be in our regular dinner rotation now.
I really liked this. Mine seemed a little salty, not sure why. I used a little less beans (15 oz.) and more spinach--1 lb. frozen bag. I think the original measurements in the recipe are better. Also, hadn't cooked frozen spinach in a while--the fresh definitely tastes better. Next time I think I'll use regular canned tomatoes and add fresh garlic and fresh spices for a better taste.
LOVE this recipe! I would recommend getting the tomatoes and beans started while you wait for your water to boil. Doing it this way, both my water and tomatoes and beans were ready to cook at the same time and were done at about the same time, so I think it saved me about 5 minutes or so of cook time which counts when you have two hungry little ones waiting for dinner. =) I also think this could be yummy cold!
Being Greek myself, I suggest you add lemon and dill to this dish. You can Greekify anything by adding spinach, oil, lemon, dill and feta.
I had to add a lot of stuff to this recipe to give it some flavor. I used all fresh ingredients: tomatoes, basil, spinach, mushrooms, onion, garlic and oregano. I also used crushed red pepper (for some heat), rinsed cannellini beans, low-fat feta and whole grain pasta and added a jar of marinated artichoke hearts. If I had them, I would have thrown in some kalamata olives, too. The basic recipe just needed some "oomph"!
Loved it, it's a keeper! We did modify as per various suggestions in reviews below..... -Added 3-4 garlic cloves, a large shallot (b/c I was out of onions) some oregano and added 2 fresh tomatoes to the 2 cans of diced, maybe did not use the full 10 oz. of fresh spinach, otherwise followed the directions. My family of 4 loved it!
Quick and easy to prepare. Will definitely make again. Next time I will use parmesan cheese, as I think that goes better with the ingredients. Not a WOW dish, but a good quick meal that tastes good. I think maybe some wine in the sauce would be a nice addition.
This recipe is a great base but needed a lot of additions and modifications. --To make it spicier, I added 1 tsp. dried sage, 1 tsp. dried organo, and 1 tsp. dried basil, as well as 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes. Also for garnish, I used 1/2 chopped Kalamata olives (which give it more of a kick and also more of a Greek flair) --To make it healthier, I used whole grain penne pasta Also another major change I made is that I didn't combine the spinach and the tomato/bean mixture while cooking. I sauteed the spinach separately with 4 green onions (finely chopped) and 2 cloves of garlic. Once the spinach was wilted, I added the spinach on top of the pasta and sauce as a garnish. It did create more dishes, but I believe that the spinach was more flavorful this way and the end result was much prettier than it would have been. (Note: Make sure to use organic spinach, as regular spinach has a lot of pesticides, and then wash the spinach throughly as it has a lot of dirt on it. Then, dry it as it releases a lot of water while cooking, and remove the stems and chop finely) Once modified, as one reviewer stated, it tastes great and is fresh and healthy (not things usually put in the same sentence)! I will make this often!
This was very easy to make. I loved the end results-- so colourful and delicious! I changed just a few things-- I used regular diced tomatoe cans with low sodium and added salt myself. As the Feta was salty enough I will probably not add any salt to the sauce next time around. I used a medium onion and several minced cloves of garlic to add some flavor. I used a 9oz bag of spinach, but I would probably use more next time, as it adds so much flavor and colour. Lastly, I was running low on spices, so I added just basil. I'm sure this will be even better with a few more herbs and spices. Turned out great!!! Thanks for the recipe.
Very good...especially since its so quick and easy. I used whole wheat penne and topped with tomato and basil feta. YUMMY!
Awesome! Added 6 cloves of garlic and a small chopped onion, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, sauteed until tender then added the tomatoes, beans and spinach. Combined with other ingredients..... Sublime!!!!! Thanks for this adaptable recipe:)
I added 3 pressed garlic cloves, omitted white beans and substituted a sliced chicken breast. It was great!
Loved this simple recipe, but like others altered & added my own ingredients too. I also added 3 cloves of garlic & Italian seasoning to the sauce. I mixed in chopped artichokes & sun dried tomatoes (in oil) to the pasta after adding the sauce & feta. Everyone loves it, that has tried it!
I made a few changes from the orginal recipe, chopped black olives, my own canned stewed tomatoes, extra garlic,and extra seasonings, also put in oven baked for 30 mins, blended the seasonings nicely....so good, will make often also used wheat penne, which naturally adds the sweet to cut the tomatoe taste....
Made suggested adjustments with onions, garlic and oregano and cooked down the tomatoes--that part was great. But there was too much spinach for the amount of pasta and the beans just didn't taste that good with the pasta. Family ate it, but it's definitely not on the do-it-again-mom list.
This recipe was good, but only with help from the other comments. Make sure you add spices and what not to your liking because without them the recipe will be very bland!
I made this last night for dinner and it was yummy. I only had plain canned tomatoes so I followed the other reviewers advice and sauted the onion and garlic and added my own italian spices. Other than that I followed the recipe. I can't wait for dinner tonight to have the leftovers:)
Easy and very good. Filling, but at the same time a refreshing change from heavy pasta dishes. I followed the recipe, only adding some basil, salt and pepper to the sauce while simmering.
We loved this. Sauted 1/2 diced onion with diced red bell pepper and lots of garlic, then added tomatoes, about 1/2 c. white wine and 3 Tbsp. fresh minced basil and simmered for 15-20 minutes. Then added beans (used 2 cans), then spinach. Also used 16 oz. wheat penne. Enjoyed leftovers for several meals. Yum.
I didn't use as much spinach, it just seemed like too much. It was delicious though! I stuffed my plate...and ate it all (its okay, I used whole wheat pasta)
i opted to add some garlic and onion in EVOO before adding tomatos and beans, i thought it was good but it still needed something. I also added black olives. I think I will add more garlic next time
I loved this, but hubby didn't! (carnivore!) I made a few changes: sauteed garlic and onions, used fresh chopped tomatoes instead of canned, and added a tsp of oregano. I loved it! So fast and easy, and tastes like good health :)
Although I wanted to like this one, it turned out pretty bland although I added garlic and herbs to the sauce. I would suggest to decrease the amount of beans by half and add black olives. It's missing something to bring all the flavors together but I can't see what exactly.
Loved it! So did my 3 year old. Followed the suggestions and sauteed garlic in olive oil first. Only used about 1/2 as much spinach as called for. I also dill. Hope it is as good for lunch tomorrow. Easy and healthy.
Even after I added spice, this still was bland. Good idea, but not enough flavor.
This was so easy and so good!! I've made this a number of times now. I add lots of fresh garlic and fresh basil. I also add salt and pepper, a touch of sugar and a splash of worcestershire sauce. It's a very good, quick meal on a week night!
This recipe has great potential but unfortunately it just didn't work for me. Like others, I sauteed garlic and onions before adding the tomatoes. The recipe would have been delicious, had I used regular canned diced tomatoes and added my own seasonings. The italian seasoned diced tomatoes thoroughly overpowered the rest of the flavors, and my dish tasted almost of nothing but sugar and feta cheese. I will make again, next time with more garlic, unseasoned diced tomatoes, and fresh herbs.
Sauted 3 tsps. mined garlic in EVOO before adding tomatoes and beans. Added handfulls of spinach at a time adding more as it began to cook down. Otherwise followed recipe to a tee. Very good.
I added chicken to this dish, and made one other change. I used a can of spinach (had no fresh). I will NOT do that again. That was a mistake. I will make this dish again, but with fresh spinach for sure. I will also use more feta. This dish would probably also be good with shrimp. Thanks for the post!
Sauté some garlic before adding tomatoes and then add basi and oregano for some more flavor. Delicious!
Wonderfully simple recipe that is full of flavor! I prefer unseasoned diced tomatoes instead of the stewed type. So, I used the diced and like others suggested, I also sauteed some minced garlic (2 cloves) and added 1/2 c. chopped onion in a bit of olive oil with 2-tsp. basil & 1/2-tsp. oregano. This recipe made quite a bit of sauce, so I used the whole 16oz. box of penne and it feed my family of 4 with enough left-over for my DH to take for lunch the next day. I will definitely make this again.
Delicious, as is. The whole family enjoyed it. Quick and so easy. Will definitely make again.
This pasta dish is simply delicious! I followed the recipe to the letter, but had to double this. I did make a few changes with the cooking process, only because of personal preference. I used 1/4 c olive oil with 3 cloves crushed garlic in a large saucepan and slowly simmered, basically infused the oil with the garlic. I then added the diced tomatoes and simmered for 10 minutes, no lid on the saucepan. I used baby spinach so there wasn't any need for chopping and stirred that in until wilted. Last, I added the beans and only heated through about 3 minutes because beans have a tendency to break up and turn to mush if cooked too long in certain sauces, that's why I decided to save them for last. I did add half the feta to the pasta mix before serving for some added flavor, and I also topped the dish when served with some crumbled also. I will make this again as I love Mediterranean flavors and this hits the spot! I may add some chopped Kalamata olives next time, which would really compliment the flavors in this dish. Thank you :)
This was just ok for me. I read all of the reviewers notes and tried make it more flavorful but in the end, it just didn't have enough flavor for us.
Excellent and nutritious one dish meal. Serve with a crispy French bread and a light wine.
I haven't even made this dish yet and I'm eager to rate it! I can see that this is such an easy recipe to make and a fun recipe to modify in a variety of ways. I am going to make this as an entre' for dinner tonight. I'll use whole (not chopped) spinach leaves and wilt it in to the cooked pasta so it doesn't cook down too much (Florentine style), and I'll add some grilled chicken for a protein since don't have cannellini beans on hand (next time!). I'll also Greek-it-up a touch more and add some sliced Kalamata olives to the sauce. I can really see how much fun and flavor we'll enjoy with this dish!
This recipe is great and taste's really fresh.... My 3 year old even loved it.... I did however add 3 cloves of garlic, some onion and basil and oregano.. Love it.. Will def make again
Delicious and easy recipe! We followed the directions except using half the tomatoes and a sauteed onion and some garlic with the veggies (I think it would have been perfectly good without). We will make this again!
I actually made this recipe a few years back from a cooking magazine. I like that it's healthy and has a good flavor. I like to use a flavored feta, and italian seasoned diced tomatoes. It gives it more flavor. We make this often in our household.
I might be unfairly rating this as I can't have tomatoes so I omitted them and added in olives. As some suggested I used Lima Beans in place of the Cannellini beans. I added in some garlic, paprika, peppercorn, tuna and parsley. I cooked the beans and olives in a little bit of olive oil. Even with all this the dish was rather bland. The feta was really what made this edible for me but then my husband disliked it.
Excellent Recipe! Made it on Sunday and ate it throughout the week at work. I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles and topped with parmesan and low fat feta.
This is good as is, but has the potential to be fantastic with a few additions (this coming from someone partial to good homemade greek dressing)...wisk together 1/3c olive oil and 1-2tbsp red wine vinegar, add juice of one lemon, a clove of minced garlic and a good tablespoon of finely chopped fresh oregano, salt and pepper, and pour over dish just at the end. I threw in some raw onion and WOW! The fresh oregano,(and maybe even a little fresh mint) keeps it gorgeously greek!
This is great. I read others' reviews and sauted garlic/onion at the beginning, then followed directions as written, except I added the feta for the last two minutes of cooking.
Very good, but needed a few changes. Sauteed onion and garlic in olive oil. Then added tomatoes with a little bit of the juice and beans (i used garbonzo beans because that's what i had on hand). Seasoned with salt, pepper and italian seasoning. Added a teaspoon of sugar to balance the tomatoes. Overall, a good, quick, healthy dinner!
Delicious! I added 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic to the tomatoes and beans while they simmered, and added some sliced sauteed portabello mushrooms .
This recipe is VERY good! I halved it for the husband and I and the portions were good, maybe a little larger than normal. It made a great sauce, but I think I would add less spinach next time [I added less than 5 oz to begin with].
I've been making this recipe for many years. It's super easy and really good!
I liked this! I added chicken, garlic and a little oregano because I just can't help doctoring stuff up. I gave it 5 stars because it's good but mostly because wow, is this fast and easy.
Great! Nice and fresh. I added minced garlic, salt, and a little tomato sauce and only used half the spinach & diced tomatoes since I was cooking for one. Turned out great!
This is good but it lacks something. Definitely a little bland without the cheese but super healthy! Made with the additions of garlic, onions, Greek oregano, and substituted 5 fresh tomatoes instead of the diced. Yum.
Easy to make, very filling and lasts a large number of meals. Great to make for my vegetarian friends!
I made this last night and I was pleasantly surprised! The combo of flavors is excellent - I will definitely be making this again. One comment: I used regular no-salt added diced tomatoes and added my own Italian spices and a little salt (the sodium in the salt I added was WAY less than it would have been in the regular Italian tomatoes). It makes the recipe even healthier and tastier!
Really, really good! I just wish I had emptied the juice from the cans of tomatoes, it was a bit soggy. When I ate the leftovers, I added a bit of Italian dressing to it, yum!
Very good recipe. We added kalamata olives to it, which gave it some nice depth. Artichokes were also a nice add on the second day. Definitely a keeper recipe that can be adjusted according to your tastes.
Like others of course I did a few alterations. I added just plain diced tomatoes, used sweet peas instead of beans and added, salt, parsley, cilantro, pepper and chopped garlic. My girls loved it which makes me happy because they are extremely picky eaters.
I used a whole (approx 13 oz) box of whole wheat penne, not quite the whole bag of spinach, an extra can of diced tomatoes, and added some sliced fresh mushrooms and seasoned it to my family's taste with garlic, oregano, basil, and a little bit of crushed red pepper. Very versatile recipe that I'm sure we'll being seeing a lot of at our dinner table!
Good vegetarian fare! I added garlic, onions, basil and oregano, plus a bit of soy sausage for a meaty texture. It was pretty darn good! Easy and affordable. Even my carnivore hubby liked it!
This was foolproof! My boyfriend (who can't cook) wanted to cook for me, so I picked this because it would be super easy. Even with him cooking it was on the table in 20 minutes. The only changes I made were to begin the sauce by sautéing an onion and some garlic, and I added a small can of chopped tomatoes and 5 fresh roma tomatoes. I also added a good tablespoon each of basil and oregano. We served it with store bought rotisserie chicken, but it would be good on it's own. Surprisingly the beans tasted really good with the pasta.
I gave this recipe to my husband to cook up. I wanted something quick and easy since he isn't all that great in the kitchen. We follow this recipe exactly with just a few minor tweaks. We used can tomatoes and frozen spinach since that was what we had on hand.(Though I'm pretty sure fresh would of made this dish even better.) Based on another review suggestion, we added olive oil, garlic salt and lemon juice. Since we didn't have dill we went with thyme and oregano. The house smelled great as this was cooking up. And the taste was magnificent!! My husband and I decided this recipe is a keeper.
adding fresh basil is a must for this dish, other than that it makes a great sidedish or a great vegitarian main dish.
A great, fast, satisfying, weight watchers dinner. I used 1 cup whole wheat pasta and 4 T grated Asiago cheese instead of the Feta and I calculated that this was only 6 points.
I enjoyed this by adding chicken and some chives. I think garlic would have also added a nice kick. My bf didn't care for it, but that is b/c he didn't like the feta. Overall, a nice basic dish, especially with the addition of chicken for protein.
My husband really liked this! Even my little toddlers ate it (spinach and all). Only thing I did different was add sauteed garlic and omit the feta. All in all, a great way to eat healthy.
I loved it....made it as directed and it was full of flavor. I think that grilled chicken would be good.
Tastes great! Easy to prepare! I followed to recipe exactly but used whole wheat pasta. The next time I'll saute garlic before adding the tomatoes and beans. Super vegetarian meal.
A wonderful, easy, and low-cost dinner. It is a great way to get the family to eat spinach. My daughters (ages 2 and 3) and my non-spinach-eating husband cleaned their plates. I also sauteed 3 cloves of garlic before adding the tomatoes and beans and I may try adding some black olives next time. This is a recipe I am looking forward to sharing with some vegetarian friends of ours.
I love this dish! I sauteed a clove of garlic in a small amount of olive oil before proceeding with directions. Also when I added the spinach I included some chopped fresh basil. Delish!!! I will make this often!!
Very easy to make. Quite tasty. The feta cheese gives it a nice salty flavor and brings out the taste of the tomatoes. The beans add a nice flavor.
This was okay, but not especially tasty, even with adjustments. I probably won't make it again.
Delcious! Added sauteed garlic and onion, and I almost made a huge mistake and skimped on the feta, but found some cheap stuff at the store.
Very tasty and easy! We used garbanzo beans and added crushed red pepper for a little zip. Used a feta cheese with mediteranean seasonings and garlic. Thanks for this great recipe!
this stuff is YUMMY even as leftovers. thanks for the recipe. I am trying to start eating healthier, and this sure will be on my list of new meals to eat. thanks again
Very good and healthy too! The feta cheese is what makes it! Based on other reviews, I sauteed one small onion + 5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, then added the 1 28 oz can italian tomatoes (cut up) and later added a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes to add more liquid. To the tomato sauce I also added: 1/2 tsp suger, 1 tsp salt, some pepper, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, a small can of black olives, drained. I added 2 chicken breasts, sliced (browned in a skillet w/ ground pepper fresh garlic, onions). I did not chop the spinach, since it wilts down to nothing.
This recipe is awesome and fast! If your family needs more herbs--just add them to the sauce. This is comfort food at its healthy best!!
