Spicy Spinach Puttanesca

This Italian dish is chock full of delicious and nutritious veggies. Plus, I love its array of flavors. The onions lend their sweetness while the capers and olives add a more pungent flavor. The amount of spiciness can be adjusted to your personal taste by adding more or less cayenne pepper. It tastes just as good as it looks!

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 bulb (not clove) of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup sliced olives (I chose black and kalamata this time)
1 tablespoon capers
4 cups raw spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic. Let cook at medium-low heat for 10 minutes until they start to caramelize and sweeten, stiring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, olives, capers and cayenne pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Take pan off stove and add in spinach leaves. Fold in leaves to the rest of the sauce mixture and the let the residual heat wilt them. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over your choice of whole wheat pasta. Yield: 4 servings