Description
Quick Spinach Pasta is a creamy 15 minute vegetarian pasta made with fresh spinach, garlic, cream cheese, and parmesan. It’s a fast, comforting weeknight dinner the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (225 g) pasta (penne, rigatoni, or spaghetti)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced or sliced
- 9 oz (250 g) baby spinach, washed
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 5 oz (140 g) cream cheese
- 1 oz (30 g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Black pepper to taste
- Extra parmesan and olive oil for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente according to package directions.
- Reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add spinach in batches, seasoning lightly with salt, and cook until wilted.
- Stir in cream cheese and about 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water.
- Add parmesan cheese and nutmeg and stir until the sauce becomes creamy.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly.
- If needed, add more pasta water to loosen the sauce.
- Serve immediately with extra olive oil, black pepper, and grated parmesan.
Notes
- Taste the sauce before adding extra salt since pasta water and parmesan already contain salt.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
- Add a small splash of water when reheating to loosen the sauce.
- Nutrition values are estimated and may vary.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 544
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 567
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Unsaturated Fat: 11
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 62
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 19
- Cholesterol: 60