Creamy Spinach Pasta Garlic (Printable)

Pasta combined with tender spinach and a smooth, garlicky cream sauce for a cozy meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne, fettuccine, or pasta of choice

→ Sauce

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 7 oz fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
05 - 1 cup heavy cream
06 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - ½ tsp salt
08 - ¼ tsp black pepper
09 - Pinch of nutmeg

→ To Finish

10 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
11 - Extra grated Parmesan, for serving

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water before draining.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to brown it.
03 - Add chopped spinach to the skillet and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly until completely wilted.
04 - Reduce heat to low. Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Let simmer gently for 2 minutes.
05 - Stir in grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue stirring until cheese is fully melted and sauce achieves a smooth consistency.
06 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat. If sauce appears too thick, gradually incorporate reserved pasta water until reaching desired consistency.
07 - Plate the pasta while hot. Garnish with additional grated Parmesan and fresh parsley if using.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Its ready in thirty minutes but tastes like something that simmered all afternoon
  • The garlic cream sauce clings to every strand of pasta like it was made for each other
  • Even spinach skeptics find themselves going back for seconds
02 -
  • Burnt garlic cannot be fixed, so watch it like a hawk once it hits the pan
  • The pasta water is your insurance policy for silky, perfectly clinging sauce
  • Sauce continues thickening off heat, so err on the side of slightly loose
03 -
  • Warm your cream slightly before adding it to prevent any curdling
  • Chop spinach while damp so it doesnt fly everywhere

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