Description
A quick and cozy creamy pasta dish featuring tomato and fresh spinach, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
- Pasta: penne, rigatoni, rotini, or spaghetti
- Olive oil or a small knob of butter
- Garlic: 3 to 4 cloves, minced
- Tomato base: tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (about 1 can)
- Cream: heavy cream or half and half
- Parmesan: freshly grated
- Spinach: a few big handfuls of fresh spinach, or thawed frozen spinach squeezed dry
- Salt and black pepper
- Italian seasoning or dried oregano and basil
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Pasta water: reserved from the pot
- A tiny splash of lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Boil the pasta. Get a big pot of salted water going. Cook until just tender, reserving 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- Start the sauce. While pasta cooks, warm olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and seasoning. Pour in tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, stirring in Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Let bubble gently for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Make it creamy. Turn heat to low and stir in cream, warming through for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add spinach. Toss spinach into the pan until wilted and bright green.
- Add parmesan. Sprinkle in parmesan and stir until melted, adding reserved pasta water as needed for desired sauce consistency.
- Combine and finish. Add the drained pasta to the sauce, toss, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Notes
Try adding protein like shredded chicken or shrimp, or make it lighter with half and half instead of heavy cream. This dish tastes even better the next day as leftovers.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 45mg