Creamy Spinach Pasta (Printable)

Tender spinach coated in a garlic cream sauce, tossed with pasta for a comforting, easy meal.

# What You 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 until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then 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 frequently, until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Reduce heat. Stir in heavy cream and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, combining ingredients evenly.
05 - Add grated Parmesan, ground nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Let the sauce thicken slightly, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat with sauce. Adjust consistency by gradually adding reserved pasta water as needed.
07 - Plate immediately and garnish with extra Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent maybe twenty minutes, tops.
  • Fresh spinach and a whisper of nutmeg make it feel restaurant-quality without any pretension.
  • One skillet, one pot, minimal cleanup—because who has the energy for dishes after work?
  • Genuinely impressive enough to cook for people without feeling like you're just throwing together leftovers.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain—it's starchy and magical for adjusting your sauce consistency, and you can't get it back once it's gone.
  • The cream will break if it boils hard, so keep your heat medium-low once it's in the pan; gentle simmering is your friend.
  • Nutmeg is your secret weapon here, but use it sparingly because a quarter teaspoon is enough—more than that and it tastes like pumpkin pie.
03 -
  • Toast a little red pepper flake in your oil before adding garlic for a subtle warmth that nobody will be able to identify but everyone will feel.
  • Let your pasta water cool slightly before adding it to the sauce so you don't accidentally overcook the cream with boiling liquid.
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