Creamy Spinach Pasta Garlic (Printable)

Tender spinach and pasta in a rich garlicky cream sauce with Parmesan cheese and a hint of nutmeg.

# What You'll Need:

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine

02 - 7 oz fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped

03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped

05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

06 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

08 - 1/4 cup whole milk

09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water

10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

11 - Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.

02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.

03 - Incorporate minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

04 - Add chopped spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.

05 - Pour in heavy cream and milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

06 - Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.

07 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water gradually if a thinner sauce is desired.

08 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra Parmesan and black pepper.

01 -

It comes together faster than takeout, which means more time to actually enjoy eating with someone you like.
The sauce is silky without being heavy, and that nutmeg whisper changes everything about how it tastes.
Fresh spinach melts into the cream so naturally that even people skeptical about greens will eat seconds.

02 -

Cook the garlic only for a minute or it goes bitter and ruins the whole thing, which I learned the hard way on attempt two.
The sauce thickens more as it cools, so if it looks a little loose on the stove, it'll be perfect in the bowl.
That pasta water is not just for emergencies, it's how you make the sauce silky and help it cling to the pasta like it's meant to.

03 -

Let the pasta water cool slightly before adding it to the sauce so you don't shock everything with temperature, a small thing that keeps the cream from breaking.
If you have a microplane, use it for fresh nutmeg over ground, the difference is worth the thirty seconds it takes.