I think what I love most about this dish is the taste of the Asiago cheese. It tastes a little like parmesan cheese, it has the same nuttiness, but I think it's tangier. It's also not as crumbly and salty as parmesan. Luckily there are lots of both in this recipe, so you get the best of both worlds.
Fusilli with Spinach and Asiago Cheese
recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (9-ounce) bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup grated Asiago
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the pasta and cook for until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). When finished, drain the pasta, saving about a half cup of the cooking liquid.
While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until you can begin smelling it, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach begins to wilt. Next, add the cooked pasta and toss. Finally add the cheeses, salt and pepper, and cooking liquid and stir tpgether.
Notes:
1. Be very careful with the salt in this recipe. The cheeses, especially the parmesan, are salty. This dish doesn't need much extra.
2. I love asiago, but if you dislike it for some reason there are alternatives you can use. You could make the whole thing with parmesan, but then I think it would be a really one-note dish. Pecorino-Romano would work, it is tangy (like asiago) because it is made from sheeps milk. Also, a dry jack cheese could be good in this dish. I really recommend the asiago. If I can find it around me, you shouldn't have any trouble finding it in the supermarket.
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