Creamy Spinach Pasta Delight (Printable version)

Luscious pasta with tender spinach in a silky garlicky cream sauce for a comforting meal.

# Needed ingredients:

→ Pasta

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

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp 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 tsp ground nutmeg
09 - ¼ tsp black pepper
10 - Salt, to taste

→ Garnish

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

# How to make it:

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 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
03 - Add roughly chopped spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Reduce heat to low. Pour in heavy cream, stirring continuously. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes to combine flavors.
05 - Stir in grated Parmesan cheese, ground nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing thoroughly to coat with sauce. If sauce is too thick, gradually add reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
07 - Plate immediately and garnish with extra grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes, which means you can go from "what's for dinner?" to plated in less time than it takes to scroll through takeout menus.
  • The creamy sauce clings to every strand of pasta in a way that feels almost indulgent, but it's honest Italian comfort food.
  • Fresh spinach disappears into the sauce so completely that even skeptics won't realize they're eating greens.
02 -
  • Don't let the cream boil hard or it may break and separate—keep the heat low and gentle once the cream is in the pan.
  • Freshly grated Parmesan makes all the difference; pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
  • The pasta water is your secret weapon for adjusting consistency without diluting the flavor the way adding more cream would.
03 -
  • Keep the heat medium-low once the cream is in the pan; high heat is the enemy of a silky sauce.
  • Taste the pasta a minute before the package directions suggest; it keeps cooking slightly after draining, and you want it just shy of fully tender.
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