Description
Quick and easy creamy spinach pasta with garlic cream sauce, fresh spinach, and parmesan cheese. This restaurant-quality one-pan dinner is ready in just 25 minutes and perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Components:
- 12 oz pasta (linguine, fettuccine, penne, or your choice)
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach (about 5 cups loosely packed)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil or parsley for garnish (optional)
For Pasta Water:
- 4 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente (usually 8-10 minutes). Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic: While pasta cooks, heat olive oil and butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Once butter melts and starts to foam, add minced garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden—watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.
- Add Seasonings: Stir in Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Create Cream Sauce: Pour in heavy cream and broth. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce slightly thickens.
- Wilt Spinach: Add fresh spinach to the sauce in batches if needed, stirring as it wilts down. This takes about 2-3 minutes. The spinach will reduce dramatically in volume. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add Cheese: Remove pan from heat. Stir in ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. The residual heat will melt the cheese perfectly without making it grainy.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Using tongs, toss everything together until pasta is evenly coated with creamy spinach sauce. If sauce seems too thick, add reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until you reach desired consistency.
- Final Seasoning: Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Remember that parmesan is salty, so you may not need much additional salt.
- Serve: Divide among bowls or plates. Top with extra parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley if desired. Serve immediately while hot and creamy.
Notes
- For thicker sauce: Reduce cream by simmering longer or add an extra tablespoon of parmesan
- For thinner sauce: Add more pasta water or broth until desired consistency
- Protein additions: Add cooked chicken, shrimp, or Italian sausage in step 7
- Make it lighter: Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (add 1 tablespoon flour whisked in)
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in airtight container for up to 3 days
- Reheating: Add splash of cream or milk when reheating to restore creaminess
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1½ cups
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 85mg