Hello spring in a bowl! This quick and easy creamy spinach pasta is a perfect weeknight main. It's bright, cheesy and packed with vegetables. Delicious enough to please even the pickiest eater.

This recipe is inspired by one I developed for EatingWell Magazine, but with a few key tweaks (like peas, toasted pecans and more cheese!). The goal of this recipe is to highlight simple spring vegetables and create flavors that kids will enjoy too. The result is a simple creamy spinach sauce featuring sautéed baby spinach, cream cheese, fresh grated parmesan and a hint of lemon.

THE INGREDIENTS THAT MATTER

Simple, fresh and convenient ingredients make this pasta recipe come together quickly.

Baby Spinach. You can't make a creamy spinach sauce without spinach! And fresh, not frozen, is key to the vibrant green color and smooth, vegetal flavor. Use a 5 ounce package: it's consistent, convenient and available in grocery stores year round.
Cream Cheese. The "cream" in this sauce comes from cream cheese. Simply add it to the food processor and the residual heat from the sautéed spinach helps to melt it to a perfectly smooth consistency. Plus, the natural tang in cream cheese pairs well with spinach.
Lemon. Here's a little tip from test kitchen: too much acid, like from fresh lemon juice, will turn green vegetables a dark, unappealing shade of greenish brown. There's two quick solutions. First, don't add lemon juice directly to the sauce and instead finish with a squeeze of lemon just before serving. Second, and what I believe is the best solution, use lemon zest. The zest contains the essential oils (read big lemon flavor!) and it provides more of lemon's natural floral flavors compared to its harsh acidity.

about the technique

This weeknight-friendly meal is simple, but there's some important techniques to ensure it turns out well.

Sautee and Squeeze. Baby spinach cooks super fast, so a couple minutes in a hot skillet is all you need. Add a small clove of garlic and then transfer the mixture to a clean kitchen towel. Cool for just a minute, then squeeze out as much water as you can (too much water leads to a soupy, not so creamy sauce). Bonus technique: squeeze out the spinach under running cold water to keep your hands from burning and also seal in that vibrant green color.
Pulse and Scrape. A standard size food processor works well (as does a medium or small but not micro). Whatever size you use, pulse the spinach and cheese mixture about 10 times, then use a spatula to scrape down the sides. Continue pulsing and scraping until smooth. At this stage, the sauce will be thick so pulsing and scraping is key here.
Reserve the Pasta Water. Save just ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid to thin out the sauce when mixing with pasta. The warm water will help melt the cheeses and the starch from the pasta will help the sauce stick to the pasta. Use as much of the ¼ cup as you need to get a creamy, luscious sauce.

Looking for recipes similar to this creamy spinach pasta? Check out our list of vegetarian recipes.

Recipe

Creamy Spinach Pasta

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5 from 1 review

Author: Adam Dolge
Total Time: 20
Yield: 4 cups 1x

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Description

This simple creamy spinach pasta recipe features springtime fresh spinach and peas. It comes together quickly for a weeknight meal and is so delicious it will please picky eaters.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 cups peas (thawed if frozen)
8 oz. spaghetti
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 oz. baby spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
3 oz. cream cheese
2 oz. grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
½ tsp. table salt
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
zest from 1 lemon, plus wedges for serving

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Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add peas and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or small colander; set aside in a small bowl.
Return pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions; reserve ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Strain and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Cool slightly then squeeze out the water from the spinach (tip: do this under cold running water to avoid burning your hands and to seal the vibrant green color). Transfer mixture to a food processor and add cream cheese, parmesan cheese and salt. Pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until smooth, about 10-20 pulses.
Transfer sauce to the large pot and add pasta. Toss well to coat, adding reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin out sauce to desired consistency. Divide pasta among 4 serving bowls and top with peas, pecans, lemon zest and more grated parmesan. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Notes

Squeeze out as much moisture from the spinach as possible. Run the spinach in a towel under cold water to seal the color and cool the spinach slightly.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Cold and room temperature leftovers taste great.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Category: Main
Method: Sautee
Cuisine: Healthy