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Fresh Tomato Sauce with Mint, Feta, and Spinach

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta)

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Mint, Feta, and Spinach

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach (about 8 cups)2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon¼ teaspoon table salt ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)

Before You Begin

Fusilli pasta works particularly well with this sauce. One tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves can be substituted for the mint. If your tomatoes are tart, you may need to add up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; increase heat to medium-high and cook until tomato pieces lose their shape to form chunky sauce, about 10 minutes, adding spinach (pan will be quite full) and covering skillet after 8 minutes of cooking.
  2. Stir wilted spinach into sauce to combine. Stir in mint, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Toss sauce and remaining tablespoon oil with pasta and serve, sprinkling feta over individual bowls.
Fresh Tomato Sauce with Mint, Feta, and Spinach

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Mint, Feta, and Spinach

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach (about 8 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach (about 8 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach (about 8 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)

Why This Recipe Works

To capitalize on the full, robust flavor of great seasonal tomatoes, we found that any type of tomato tasted fine when skinned, seeded, chopped, and simmered in a skillet with garlic and olive oil—as long as it was ripe. But for suitable additions to finish our fresh tomato sauce recipes, we needed to look beyond the usual suspects like parsley and ricotta and find forceful flavors—potent herbs and spices (piney rosemary), cured meats (smoky bacon), and assertive cheeses (pungent feta), using them judiciously to keep the sauce in balance.

Before You Begin

Fusilli pasta works particularly well with this sauce. One tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves can be substituted for the mint. If your tomatoes are tart, you may need to add up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; increase heat to medium-high and cook until tomato pieces lose their shape to form chunky sauce, about 10 minutes, adding spinach (pan will be quite full) and covering skillet after 8 minutes of cooking.
  2. Stir wilted spinach into sauce to combine. Stir in mint, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Toss sauce and remaining tablespoon oil with pasta and serve, sprinkling feta over individual bowls.

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