Spinach Garlic Spaghetti

I love garlic. And spinach. And pasta. So when I found my pantry flush with these ingredients, I decided to cook up some garlic-y spinach-y goodness. I had seen a recipe for  garlic butter pasta here and decided to alter the recipe a little to fit by budget and tastes :)

What you need:

8-10 cloves of garlic, minced (depending on their size)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter. (This seriously matters--the flavor of the butter vs. margarine makes a difference!!)
1 lb spaghetti or similarly shaped pasta
5 cups fresh or frozen spinach, chopped (I used fresh, but have tried frozen in the past which was just as delish)
1/2 cup chopped basil
Grated Parmesan cheese (the fresh stuff is the best, but my budget called for the cheapo one)
Salt and pepper

Mix spinach and basil together and set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, melt butter on medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir garlic occasionally until soft, but not brown, about 5 minutes.

  Yumm...I can smell the garlic now....

 Add in spinach mix and stir until spinach and basil have wilted and absorbed some of your delectable sauce. Salt and pepper to taste, I used about a teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

 Mmm mmm antioxidant goodness....

 Add about a tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, then combine pasta and sauce, stirring until combined. I topped each plate with a little extra parm for good measure! Now, pour yourself a nice glass of Chardonnay and enjoy.....