Spinach Pasta Garlic Cream (Print version)
Tender pasta and spinach blend with a light garlic cream sauce for an easy, elegant meal.
# What you'll need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz dried fettuccine or penne pasta
→ Vegetables
02 - 7 oz fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small onion, finely diced
→ Sauce & Seasoning
05 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream
06 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
07 - 2 tbsp olive oil
08 - 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
09 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish (optional)
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
11 - Crushed red pepper flakes
12 - Fresh basil leaves
# How to make it:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add chopped spinach to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
04 - Pour in heavy cream, reduce heat to low, and stir in freshly grated nutmeg. Simmer gently for 2 minutes.
05 - Stir grated Parmesan into the sauce until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
07 - Plate immediately, garnishing with additional Parmesan, lemon zest, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh basil leaves if desired.
# Expert suggestions:
01 -
- It comes together in under 35 minutes, making it perfect for those nights when you want something elegant but don't have time to fuss
- The cream and nutmeg create a sauce so silky it feels like a restaurant dish, but you made it in your own kitchen
- Fresh spinach adds real nutrition and that beautiful green color without any heaviness
- It's vegetarian but satisfies even the most devoted meat-eaters at your table
02 -
- Don't drain your pasta and walk away without saving that cooking water. It's the one thing that saves you if your sauce gets too thick, and it has enough starch to help everything cling together beautifully.
- Low heat when adding the cream is essential. High heat can break the cream and make your sauce grainy instead of silky. Patience here pays off in texture.
- Fresh nutmeg makes an enormous difference. It's worth finding a microplane grater and grating it yourself, the flavor is completely different from pre-ground, and it's that difference that makes people ask for your recipe.
03 -
- Warm your bowls before plating by running them under hot water or placing them in a warm oven for a moment. It keeps your pasta hot longer and feels luxurious.
- If you're cooking for someone you're trying to impress, know that this dish tastes more difficult than it is. The combination of fresh spinach, cream, and that hint of nutmeg reads as sophisticated effort, but it's genuinely simple. Let that confidence show.