Pasta, We’d Hardly Know You

Man’s ingenuity is demonstrated in the kitchen all the time. “Making do with what you have on hand” is the foundation of the true home cook.

This recipe is a perfect example. It comes from a pamphlet published 50 years ago by the Bertoli olive oil company. The clever idea of crushing macaroni so that it becomes a different ingredient is the key to what is otherwise a quite simple dish.

Crushed Macaroni With Tomatoes, Spinach and Parsley

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup water

3 large cloves garlic, chopped

3 tomatoes, sliced

Salt, pepper

2 cups spinach leaves, loosely packed

1/2 cup parsley leaves

1 1/2 cups small elbow or shell macaroni

1 1/2 cups plain stewed tomatoes

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

* Combine oil, water and garlic in small bowl and set aside.

* Arrange tomato slices in single layer over bottom of greased 8-inch-square baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

* Combine spinach and parsley and spread half of mixture over tomatoes.

* Spread macaroni in single layer between folded sheet of wax paper or foil. Fold 3 sides of paper closed so bits of macaroni won’t fly out. Using rolling pin, press down and slowly roll back and forth over macaroni. Crush macaroni into small pieces but do not pulverize.

* Sprinkle macaroni over spinach and parsley and spread remaining spinach-parsley mixture over top. Spread stewed tomatoes over all. Drizzle oil mixture evenly over top. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees until macaroni is tender, about 1 hour. Dust with Parmesan and serve hot.

4 servings. Each serving: 370 calories; 339 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 39grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 1.43 grams fiber.

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Cook’s Tip * Whenever you use spinach, you must remove the stems. They are tough and will remain fibrous long after the leaves have finished cooking.

* When using leafy greens such as parsley, rinse them well and squeeze them dry. Unless the recipe specifies, there shouldn’t be any liquid clinging to the greens.