Sour Cream and Veggie Baked Pasta

Are you label conscious? Not like fancy handbags and designer jeans. I mean food labels. Do you read them? Not enough people do.

Last month I drove up to Anaheim for the Natural Products Expo West, “showcasing products in the categories of natural and specialty foods, organic, supplements, health and beauty, natural living and pet products.” The term “natural” is not regulated in any way, so companies like to slap it on everything from chemical cleaning products to potato chips. It was like playing detective, trying to determine which products were made of real food and which ones were not.

I enjoyed the company of some other label-readers, but was looking for Green Valley Organics. They had contacted me about potentially sponsoring my ticket to Camp Blogaway — a tempting offer — but I am skeptical of “natural foods” and wanted to learn more about them and their company first.

Lactose-free dairy? Pastoral image of a cow on green hills for their logo? Probably full of chemicals and “organic-CAFO” milk, right?

WRONG.

We sampled their (delicious) products and saw pictures of the idyllic green farmland where they raise their cows and goats. We learned about how proud they are to be a Certified Humane® company. And I read all the labels.

I agreed to work with them. I don’t eat much dairy myself, so when I do, I want to make sure it’s organic and high-quality. They asked me to test out some products and shipped me a box of goodies: some yogurt, some kefir (a drinkable yogurt), and some sour cream.

Ok, a lot of sour cream. Whoever packed the box got a bit overzealous.

We happily ate tacos for the next 3 days. Hey, it’s Cinco de Mayo! Make some Mexican food and slather it in this sour cream; everyone wins.

But a taco recipe was too easy. How about a creamy pasta bake stuffed with veggies and topped with crunchy almonds and tangy, slightly softened tomatoes?

That’s what I thought. By not using crème fraiche you have your own small victory over the French. Plus, it will help you soak up those margaritas and make excellent leftovers for lunch on Monday.

Speaking of labels, have you ever noticed that the back of a pasta box has the serving size listed as 2 ounces, but the recipes on the box call for 16 ounces – “serves 4?” This uses 8 ounces of pasta and serves 4. The rest is tasty, filling, and nutritious (in that order).

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Sour Cream and Veggie Baked Pasta

by Stacy Spensley May-3-2012

Sauteed veggies and rich sour cream infuse pasta with flavor; almonds and tomatoes add color and texture. Prepping and cooking takes a few minutes, but it’s worthwhile.

Ingredients

8 ounces whole wheat pasta
1/2 medium onion, sliced
8 ounces sliced cremini or baby bella mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
6 ounces chopped spinach
1/2 cup Green Valley Organic sour cream
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1.5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms. Stir occasionally until deep brown, about 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan. Stir in garlic and remove from heat.2. Preheat oven to 400F. Boil pasta in well-salted water until quite al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Add olive oil and sour cream to hot pasta and stir until combined. Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to thin. 3. While pasta is still hot, mix in chopped spinach. Add sauteed vegetables and half the almonds. Stir to combine.4. Arrange pasta in a casserole dish (I used a 2.5 quart stoneware baking dish). Sprinkle with the remaining almonds and stud with the halved tomatoes. 5. Bake in the top third of the oven at 400F for 10-15 minutes until the almonds are toasted and the tomatoes have shriveled slightly. Serve hot.

Details

Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 4 servings