Creamy Spinach Pasta (Print Version)

Tender spinach and pasta in a smooth garlicky cream sauce, ideal for comforting dinners.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
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 pasta water and drain.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 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. Stir to combine and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Stir in grated Parmesan, ground nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly over 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. Adjust sauce consistency by gradually adding reserved pasta water if necessary.
07 - Plate immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant-quality comfort food but comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta.
  • The cream sauce clings to every strand in a way that makes you actually want to eat your greens.
  • It's flexible enough to stretch with whatever protein or extras you have hiding in your kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't let the cream boil at a rolling boil or it can break and look curdled—keep it at a gentle simmer where just small bubbles break the surface.
  • That pasta water is liquid gold; it has starch that helps the sauce cling to the noodles instead of sliding off, so save it before you drain.
  • If your Parmesan is pre-grated, it won't melt smoothly into the sauce, so take the extra 30 seconds to grate it fresh.
03 -
  • If you're worried about the sauce breaking, temper the cream by slowly whisking a spoonful into the hot garlic oil before pouring the rest in—it's an extra step that feels safer if you're nervous.
  • Nutmeg is the secret ingredient that makes people ask what makes this sauce taste so good; resist the urge to add more than the recipe calls for or it becomes noticeable instead of mysterious.
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