Rotini with Blue Cheese & Spinach

Rotini with Blue Cheese & Spinach
Serves 2 

You'll need:
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half and half
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
¼ lb. blue cheese, crumbled (a heaping ½ cup), plus a little extra for garnish
5 oz. fresh baby spinach 
1/2 lb. dry rotini

What to do: 
In a medium heavy-bottomed pot large enough to fit the pasta, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, just til the garlic is fragrant, not golden at all. Add the half and half, ½ teaspoon salt and some freshly ground pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the cream thickens, stirring occasionally. Add the blue cheese to the sauce and stir to dissolve it. (It’s okay if there are a few lumps.)

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, then the pasta, and cook to al dente according to the directions on the package, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach when there’s 1 minute left. Reserve ½ cup of cooking water, then drain the pasta and greens in a colander. Don’t shake out the pasta — you actually want some of the water to stick to it. 

Immediately add the pasta to the pot with the sauce. Toss together, then cook over low heat for 2 minutes, until the pasta has absorbed some of the sauce. Add a little of the reserved cooking water if the sauce seems dry. Transfer to two bowls and eat, garnished with a little extra blue cheese if you like.