Creamy Spinach Pasta Dish (Printable)

Tender spinach combined with pasta in a smooth, garlicky cream sauce for a cozy meal.

# What you'll need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - 7 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
10 - Salt, to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Extra grated Parmesan, to serve
12 - Freshly ground black pepper

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add finely minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
03 - Add chopped spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring, until wilted, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Reduce heat to low and pour in heavy cream, stirring to combine. Allow to simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Stir in grated Parmesan, ground nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Let the sauce thicken slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. If sauce is too thick, gradually add reserved pasta water until desired consistency is achieved.
07 - Plate immediately, topping with additional grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinners don't have to feel like a compromise.
  • The cream sauce is naturally elegant but forgiving—it's hard to mess up, which is exactly what you want after a long day.
  • Fresh spinach melts into the sauce so completely that even people who claim they don't like greens will happily eat seconds.
02 -
  • Reserve the pasta water before you drain—the starch in it is what transforms a separated, greasy sauce into something cohesive and luxurious, and I learned this the hard way after one too many broken sauces.
  • Don't let the cream boil aggressively or it will split and curdle, so keep that heat medium-low and patient, stirring occasionally.
  • Fresh spinach reduces so dramatically that you can use more than seems reasonable without ending up with a spinach-heavy dish.
03 -
  • If your Parmesan starts to get stringy or separated when you add it, you've added it to sauce that's too hot—next time, let the cream cool for just a moment before adding the cheese and stir constantly as it melts.
  • The starchy pasta water is your secret weapon for fixing almost any pasta sauce that seems too thick, so never throw it out until you're sure your sauce is the right consistency.
  • A tiny squeeze of lemon juice at the very end, just before serving, will brighten everything without making it taste lemony—your guests will wonder what makes it taste so alive.
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