FUSILLI WITH PECORINO ROMANO AND BLACK PEPPER

FUSILLI WITH PECORINO ROMANO AND BLACK PEPPER image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 10

Kosher salt
1 pound fusilli pasta (or any curly pasta like rotini)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed (I used at least 4)
5 cups baby spinach leaves (5 oz)
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (6 oz) (I use more)
1 cup mascarpone cheese (8 oz), at room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (my addition)
1 teaspoon jarred crushed garlic

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, high sided skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the spinach and 2 teaspoons pepper and crushed red pepper, jarred crushed garlic and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the pasta. Add the Pecorino Romano cheese and 2 teaspoons each salt and pepper, and toss until coated. In a medium bowl, whisk together the reserved cooking liquid and the mascarpone cheese until smooth. Pour over the pasta and toss until coated. Season with salt. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and serve.