Creamy Garlic Spinach Pasta (Printable View)

Luscious pasta with spinach and garlic cream sauce. Easy weeknight comfort food ready in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz fettuccine

→ Vegetables

02 - 7 oz fresh baby spinach, washed and trimmed
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

→ Dairy

05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1/4 cup cream cheese, optional

→ Seasonings

09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - Pinch of nutmeg, optional

→ Garnish

12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
13 - Chopped fresh parsley or basil, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chopped onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent.
03 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in cream cheese, if using, until melted and smooth.
05 - Add grated Parmesan, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce reaches a creamy consistency.
06 - Add fresh spinach to the skillet, stirring continuously until completely wilted, approximately 2 minutes.
07 - Add cooked fettuccine to the skillet. Toss thoroughly to coat with sauce, adding reserved pasta water incrementally as needed to achieve desired consistency.
08 - Transfer to serving dishes immediately. Top with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than most delivery orders and tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen.
  • The spinach sneaks in a serving of greens without anyone noticing they're eating something healthy.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, which means fewer trips to the store on a busy Tuesday.
  • The creamy garlic sauce clings to every strand of pasta in the most luxurious way.
02 -
  • Always reserve pasta water before draining, I forgot once and had to thin the sauce with plain water which just made it watery instead of silky.
  • Don't let the garlic sit in the hot butter for more than a minute or it will turn bitter and ruin the whole sauce.
  • Add the spinach in stages if your pan is small, it will wilt fast and make room for the rest.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so you have room to toss the pasta without it flying everywhere, I learned this the hard way.
  • Grate your own Parmesan instead of buying the pre-shredded kind, the anti-caking agents in the bagged stuff keep it from melting smoothly.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta and adjust the salt then, it's harder to fix once everything is mixed together.
Return