Recipes Recipes

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Spinach Pasta (Easy Pasta Meal)

There’s nothing like a nice and creamy garlic parmesan spinach pasta at the end of a long day, especially when paired with some garlic bread and a glass of wine. It’s soul-comforting food with a healthier twist, with plenty of protein and a creamy sauce to bring everything together nicely. This is a must-try!

How to Make Creamy Garlic Parmesan Spinach Pasta

You’ll need a Dutch oven for best results with this spinach pasta recipe, but if you don’t have one, you can use a large soup pot as a replacement in a pinch:

  • Prepare the Dutch oven. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven.
  • Cook the garlic. Add the minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the milk, stock and penne. Add the milk, chicken stock and penne and stir to combine.
  • Season. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  • Boil. Bring to a boil.
  • Cook. Reduce the heat and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pasta is cooked through.
  • Add in the remaining ingredients. Add the cream cheese, grated parmesan cheese and baby spinach and stir to combine.
  • Cook. Cook the pasta for 1 additional minute (or until the spinach is wilted and the cream cheese has melted).
  • Top with extra cheese. Top the pasta with extra parmesan.
  • Serve. Serve the pasta warm.

Spinach Pasta

Spinach Pasta

Is This Spinach Pasta Recipe Dairy-Free? (how to make it so)

This particular garlic parmesan spinach pasta recipe unfortunately isn’t dairy-free. However, it’s quite easy to make a few simple tweaks in order to make a 100% dairy-free version.

Both almond butter and almond milk make for fantastic butter and milk replacements, respectively. Not only that, but they’re great options health-wise as almond butter and milk are both terrific sources of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, along with other essential nutrients and antioxidants.

You can also find a few dairy-free cream cheese brands at your local grocery store, but in a pinch, you can whip up a dairy-free substitute consisting of nuts like cashews, almonds or macadamia nuts.

Finally, you can also use nutritional yeast as a dairy-free alternative to sprinkling parmesan cheese over top of the pasta. It tastes close enough to cheese with a similar texture that it makes for a perfect replacement.

Spinach Pasta

Spinach Pasta

Can I Freeze the Garlic Parmesan Spinach Pasta for Later?

You can definitely freeze this garlic parmesan spinach pasta dish to enjoy for later – but don’t keep it in the freezer for too long or the spinach may begin to spoil.

Spinach Pasta

You’ll first need to allow the pasta to cool completely after cooking and then you can transfer it into freezer-safe airtight containers. Seal them up tightly and freeze for up to 6 months.

Spinach Pasta

Spinach Pasta

(Also try: Homemade Spinach Lasagna)

Print
Spinach Pasta

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Spinach Pasta (Easy Pasta Meal)

Scale

Ingredients

  • 8 oz penne 
  • 2 tbsp butter 
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced 
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup cream cheese 
  • 10 oz baby spinach 
  •  ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. 
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. 
  3. Add the milk, chicken stock and penne and stir to combine. 
  4. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. 
  5. Bring to a boil. 
  6. Reduce the heat and cook for 18-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pasta is cooked through. 
  7. Add the cream cheese, Parmesan and spinach stir to combine. 
  8. Cook for 1 minute or until the spinach is wilted and cream cheese is melted.
  9. Top with extra parmesan and serve.

Print Recipe

Ask a Question/Comment

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Facebook icon Twitter icon Instagram icon Pinterest icon Google+ icon YouTube icon LinkedIn icon Contact icon