Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Drain and return pasta to the pot.
- Prepare the pepperoni. Cut the stick pepperoni into 1/8 inch slices and cut each slice in half. Set aside.
- Build the sauce base. In a deep saucepan pour in the olive oil and add the garlic, capers, and pepperoni. Heat over medium for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes and mushrooms. Carefully add the cherry tomatoes and mushrooms and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Many of the tomatoes should remain whole — don't overcook them.
- Finish the sauce. Turn off the heat and add the butter, pepper flakes, and sugar. Stir to combine. Pour the entire mixture into the pot with the drained pasta and mix well.
- Wilt the spinach. Add the spinach and white balsamic vinegar to the pasta pot and place the lid on top for about 3 minutes. Remove the lid and mix thoroughly until the spinach wilts down completely. Add the Parmesan and Romano and give a final mix.
- Serve. Spoon into bowls and serve immediately with grilled Italian or sourdough bread slices. Reserve pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Notes
Shaped pasta like Cellentani or fusilli is strongly recommended here — the sauce and vegetables nestle into the curves and hollows of shaped pasta in a way that flat or long pasta simply can't match. Don't rush Step 4 — letting many of the cherry tomatoes remain whole means they burst in your mouth when eating, which is a wonderful textural surprise. The white balsamic is a subtle but important addition — it brightens the whole dish without the sharpness of regular balsamic. Inspired by Cook's Illustrated "The Fastest Fresh Tomato Sauce." This recipe appears in the Pizza and Pasta chapter of The Left Over Ranch Cookbook.