Julian Rocha/The Hofstra Chronicle

Greening out is one of my favorite weekend activities. Before you get alarmed, I’m talking about pesto. Since it does not need to be heated on the stove, it is the perfect sauce for a quick pasta meal in a dorm kitchen. Jazz it up with some spices, cheese and microwaveable vegetables, and you’ll have a meal worth writing home about! I tend to eyeball measurements when making pasta, so if you end up with leftovers, they’re perfect to share with a friend or save for another meal.

Ingredients:

6 ounces pasta of your choice (photo is of De Cecco spinach linguine)

1 handful frozen spinach

4-5 ounces pesto

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Salt

Grated parmesan

Chili crunch

Instructions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, microwave the spinach in a proper container with water for five minutes, pausing halfway through to sprinkle the Italian seasoning on top.

2. Once the water has reached a boil, add a heavy pinch of salt to the water and then the pasta. Stir intermittently to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

3. After around 10 minutes, taste a noodle for softness and continue heating and stirring until ready.

4. Strain the pasta once the noodles are soft throughout, leaving a small amount of water in the pot.

5. Mix the pesto and spinach into the pot with the cooked pasta and enjoy!

Optional: Sprinkle with parmesan and chili crunch to add additional texture and flavor.