Keep your pasta game fresh with this Pasta With Sautéed Spinach and Garlic that will satisfy your cravings for something fresh and delicious!
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I absolutely revel in my status as a carb queen. Gimme all the bread, all the rice, and especially all the pasta! But given that I also want to live a long and healthy life, I have to temper those carbs with veggies, and that's where this Pasta with Sautéed Spinach recipe comes in.
It's about as healthy as a pasta recipe can be and you can make it even healthier by using whole wheat pasta, and adding extra veggies like tomatoes or sautéed mushroom. It only uses a little olive oil, and no heavy cream. You get the creaminess in the sauce by using the starchy pasta water. And because spinach wilts down so much, you can add a crazy amount of spinach to the recipe and it will still seem like there's no spinach in there!
This is an easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love!
Other Recipes You'll Love
If you're looking for another quick pasta dish, look no further than 20 Minute Weeknight Spaghetti. If you want to up your veggie game, try Lemony Arugula Pasta. And if you need a quick side dish, check out Air Fryer Frozen Garlic Bread.
Ingredient List
This simple pasta dish requires only a handful of ingredients, and can be ready in just about the time it takes to cook the pasta. The sauce is a simple olive oil sauce, and you can modify it to suit your tastes and dietary preferences.
- Fresh Spinach - I like to use baby spinach for this and most recipes.
- Pasta - you can use any kind of pasta you like - I prefer short shapes like Penne pasta or Rigatoni. I don't love a thin pasta such as angel hair pasta for this recipe.
- Olive oil
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Parmesan Cheese - try to use the best quality parmesan cheese you can afford
- Lemon - you'll use both the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Breadcrumbs - optional, but adds a bite to the dish that I think is great.
- Salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
See the recipe card for full ingredient quantities
How to Make Pasta with Sautéed Spinach and Garlic
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package directions for al dente. Reserve a half cup of the pasta water, drain pasta, then set aside until the sauce is done.
- While the pasta cooks, place a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, minced shallot, minced garlic cloves, and crushed red pepper if using. Sauté for a few minutes until softened but not browned. Lower the heat to low then add the spinach and wilt for about 2-3 minutes.
- Still over low heat, add your cooked pasta to the spinach sauce, and stir to combine. Add the grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice and zest, and a little bit of the pasta water(about 3 tablespoons to start). Stir until the cheese melts into the starchy pasta water and forms a silky sauce. If the pasta still seems dry, add another tablespoon of water and keep stirring until the sauce forms.
- Serve the pasta topped with breadcrumbs, extra parmesan and a lemon wedge. Add a side of garlic bread for a fully meal!
Substitutions
If you don't like, or don't have spinach at hand you could use kale, swiss chard, arugula or collard greens.
To make the recipe vegan, use vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.
Variations
Add a little protein to the dish using:
- Chicken breast
- White beans
If you're trying to go the vegetarian/vegan route hear, don't use tofu. Spinach contains something called oxalic acid, and when it binds with the calcium in tofu, it becomes indigestible and can cause kidney stones. Stick with beans as your protein source.
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Pasta with Sautéed Spinach and Garlic
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 medium shallot minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
- 5 ounces spinach
- 1 ounce grated parmesan
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package directions for al dente. Reserve a half cup of the pasta water, drain pasta, then set aside until the sauce is done.
- While the pasta cooks, place a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, minced shallot, minced garlic cloves, and crushed red pepper if using. Sauté for a few minutes until softened but not browned. Lower the heat to low then add the spinach and wilt for about 2-3 minutes.
- Still over low heat, add your cooked pasta to the spinach sauce, and stir to combine. Add the grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice and zest, and a little bit of the pasta water(about 3 tablespoons to start). Stir until the cheese melts into the starchy pasta water and forms a silky sauce. If the pasta still seems dry, add another tablespoon of water at a time and keep stirring until the sauce forms.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve topped with breadcrumbs, extra parm, and a lemon wedge.
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