Creamy Spinach Cheese Pasta (Print Version)

A comforting dish blending tender spinach with a smooth, cheesy sauce and pasta.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta

→ Vegetables

02 - 7 oz fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped

→ Dairy & Cheese

05 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
06 - ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
07 - 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
08 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - ¼ cup cream cheese, cubed
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
11 - Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

12 - Extra grated Parmesan, for serving
13 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
03 - Add chopped spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Lower heat to low. Stir in heavy cream, cream cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan until cheeses melt and sauce becomes smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg if desired.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Gradually add reserved pasta water to achieve desired sauce consistency.
06 - Plate immediately, garnishing with extra Parmesan and chopped herbs if preferred.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce is genuinely silky without any cream-soup heaviness, and it clings to every piece of pasta instead of pooling at the bottom.
  • You'll have dinner on the table faster than most takeout orders arrive, with something that tastes like you actually tried.
  • Spinach melts into the background so completely that even skeptics won't realize how much green they're eating.
02 -
  • Keep the heat low once the cream and cheese go in, or you'll end up with a broken, grainy sauce that no amount of stirring will fix.
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water—it's the secret weapon for getting your sauce to the perfect consistency, so keep tasting and adjusting as you add it.
03 -
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you'll need; it's easier to create a thicker sauce than to fix one that's too thin and broken.
  • Grate your own cheese if you can—pre-shredded cheese has starch mixed in that prevents it from melting as smoothly into the sauce.

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