Description
A creamy pasta dish filled with flavors of garlic and spinach, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8oz (225 grams) pasta (penne, rigatoni, spaghetti, or your preference)
- 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
Instructions
- Cook your chosen pasta according to the package instructions, until al dente. Before draining, reserve at least 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and set it aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant; just be careful not to burn it!
- Add in part of the baby spinach and season with salt. Stir until the spinach is wilted. Add the spinach in handfuls until all is integrated, keeping it bright green.
- Once the spinach is wilted but still vibrant, stir in the cream cheese and 1/3 cup of your reserved pasta cooking water. (Don’t add all at once; save the rest to adjust the sauce consistency later.)
- Add the grated Parmesan cheese and nutmeg to the sauce. Mix thoroughly until well combined, and the sauce is creamy—this will be ready in just a couple of minutes!
- Drain the pasta and add it directly to the skillet. Toss everything together until the pasta is well-coated in the luscious spinach sauce.
- Serve immediately, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, a dash of black pepper, and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
You can prepare the spinach sauce in advance and store it in the fridge. Reheat when ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 30mg