Brat Summer Pasta

Looking to brighten up late summer weeknights? Make Brat summer pasta. Inspired by the bold beats of Charli XCX’s iconic brat album, this herbaceous, vibrant green pasta captures the essence of summer fun in a single bite. Read on for tips on how to make it.

The sauce:
This bright green pasta sauce couldn’t be simpler: Blanched spinach is whizzed up in a blender with basil, cream cheese, and Parmesan for a creamy, herbaceous sauce that coats the pasta perfectly. Avoid leaving the spinach in the boiling water for longer than 30 seconds—if it’s overcooked, it will turn darker, and your pasta sauce will lose its vibrancy. While traditional blanching requires shocking the cooked spinach in ice water, I found that in this case, simply running the spinach under cold water until it is cool works just as well.

Assembling the pasta:
Most pasta recipes require you to toss the cooked pasta in the sauce in a pan, tossing until the pasta and the sauce become emulsified and glossy; however, since cooking this sauce further spoils the brilliant green color, I recommend tossing the pasta with the sauce in a bowl off the heat. If you’re concerned about the pasta being too cold, you can reheat in a pan over low heat; just be aware that the color of the pasta might darken.

Storage:
As with most pastas, this pasta is best served fresh. If you happen to have leftovers, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.

Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!