Creamy Spinach Pasta Dish (Printable)

Pasta combines tender spinach with a rich, garlicky cream sauce and Parmesan finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine
02 - Salt, as needed for boiling water

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons 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 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
10 - Salt, to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
12 - Freshly ground black pepper, for serving

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
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 occasionally, until wilted, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Reduce heat to low. Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Stir in grated Parmesan, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Allow sauce to thicken slightly over 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. If sauce appears too thick, gradually add reserved pasta water to reach preferred consistency.
07 - Plate immediately, topping with extra grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in half an hour, which means less time stressed about dinner and more time actually eating.
  • The nutmeg is your secret weapon—a whisper of it transforms ordinary cream into something almost elegant.
  • Pasta water is the unsung hero here, letting you fix the sauce consistency without ruining the flavor.
02 -
  • The nutmeg might seem tiny and unnecessary until you taste the dish without it—then you'll understand it's the difference between good and memorable.
  • Never add cold cream to a screaming hot skillet, and never crank the heat too high once the cream is in; you'll end up with broken, grainy sauce instead of silky perfection.
03 -
  • Always taste your sauce before adding salt—the cream and cheese will contribute their own saltiness, and oversalting is harder to fix than undersalting.
  • That reserved pasta water is liquid gold; it has starch that helps the sauce cling to the noodles in ways cream alone can't achieve.
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