Spinach Pasta Recipe

This simple pasta with spinach sauce is fast, easy and delicious. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes and makes a weeknight meal the whole family will love.

This is one of those easy pasta dishes or one-pot pasta recipes perfect when you just need to get dinner on the table in no time. And if you loved my cream cheese pasta or white bean pasta, you’re sure to love this quick spinach sauce packed with nutrient-dense leafy greens.

It’s a winner because while the pasta is cooking, you just need to saute’ the fresh spinach in olive oil and plenty of fragrant garlic. And if the amount of spinach looks overwhelming, I assure you it will quickly wilt in matter of minutes.

Then add cream cheese, parmesan and a generous grating of nutmeg, which works so well with both spinach sauce and parmesan. The result is savory, creamy, with hints of nutmeg, and delicious bright spinach. Toss pasta with the sauce, serve with grated parmesan cheese, black pepper… and DEVOUR!

Start heating olive oil and fresh garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. A large skillet works well since the wide surface area helps expose as much of the spinach to heat as possible, allowing it to wilt evenly. When the garlic is fragrant, add spinach. The volume looks huge at first, but it will wilt quickly becoming more manegeable. Add the spinach a handful at a time, season with salt and stir until wilted. The whole thing takes minutes.

I haven’t added tons of cheese or heavy cream to this spinach pasta. I used both pasta cooking water and cream cheese more to create the sauce, rather than making a really cheesy pasta or pasta that swims in cream. But please, don’t skip the essential touch of freshly grated parmesan cheese, it makes the difference.

This is such a versatile pasta recipe, you can add more vegetables or protein of your choice, here are a few ideas that work perfectly with this spinach sauce:

If you make this quick pasta with spinach sauce, leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!

Pasta with Spinach Sauce

This simple pasta with spinach is fast, easy and delicious. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes and makes a weeknight meal the whole family will love: creamy, packed with spinach, and convenient. Recipe yields 4 medium-sized servings.

Prep: 5min

Total: 15min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 544 kcal, Carbohydrate 62 g, Protein 19 g, Fat 25 g, Saturated Fat 12 g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Sodium 567 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 4 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 8oz (225 grams) pasta (penne, rigatoni, spaghetti…)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely sliced or minced
• 9oz (250 grams) baby spinach, washed
• ¼ tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• 5oz (140 grams) cream cheese
• 1oz (30 grams) freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, or ⅓ of freshly grated nutmeg, or according to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Instruction:

1. Cook your pasta until al dente following the package directions. Before draining, reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add garlic and cook for about 1 or 2 minutes until fragrant (make sure you don’t burn it).
4. Add part of the spinach and season with salt. Stir until wilted adding handful of spinach at a time.
5. When the spinach are wilted but still bright green, stir in cream cheese and 1/3 cup of pasta cooking water (don’t add all the reserved water straight away, but save the rest in case you need to loosen the sauce when you add pasta to the skillet).
6. Then add grated parmesan cheese and nutmet to the sauce and give a good stir. The sauce will be ready in a couple of minutes.
7. Drain pasta, add to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve immediately ¼with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy.

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

Easier than a box meal, this creamy tomato and spinach pasta is also more flavorful and delicious. 100% real ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknights!

Prep: 5min

Total: 25min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 serving, calories 309.43 kcal, Carbohydrate 54.15 g, Protein 11.53 g, Fat 5.75 g, Sodium 348.9 mg, Fiber 5.75 g

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. penne pasta ($0.75)
• 1 yellow onion ($0.28)
• 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
• 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.59)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
• 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.02)
• 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste ($0.03)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.08)
• 2 oz. cream cheese ($0.20)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.31)
• 4 oz. fresh spinach ($0.65)

Instruction:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and continue to boil until tender (7-10 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander.
2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the creamy tomato sauce. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (3-5 minutes).
3. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and a 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste has mixed into the sauce.
4. Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add them to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the cream cheese has fully melted and the sauce is creamy. Add the Parmesan to the skillet and stir until it is melted into the sauce.
5. Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted (2-3 minutes). Add the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.

15-Minute Spinach Pasta

FAQ

What does spinach do to pasta?

How do you make spinach pasta Jamie Oliver?

1. 200g baby spinach.
2. 300g Tipo 00 or plain flour , plus extra for dusting.
3. 4 cloves of garlic.
4. ½ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes.
5. 200g baby courgettes.
6. 320g ripe cherry tomatoes , on the vine.
7. 50g pine nuts.
8. ½ a bunch of fresh basil , (15g)

What goes with spinach and pasta?

Is spinach pasta good for you?