Garlic-Butter Spinach and Pasta Recipe | My Favorite Spinach Pasta (2024)

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Katerina

4.72 from 39 votes

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This Garlic Butter Pasta with Spinach recipe is made with fresh spinach and bow tie pasta tossed in a creamy garlic-butter sauce.

Garlic-Butter Spinach and Pasta Recipe | My Favorite Spinach Pasta (2)

My Favorite Pasta Recipe with Garlic Butter and Spinach

Easy recipe for garlicky and buttery pasta with fresh spinach. A quick and easy meatless main or healthy side dish your family will love!

One of the meals I’ve made for Goce every week for the last several years is this Garlic Butter Pasta. He is my pasta-obsessed husband, and even though he’s mainly low-carb, sometimes a boy’s gotta eat what he wants to eat. ?

I add whatever leafy greens I can find – kale, spinach, chard – and suddenly it looks healthier and a lot more inviting.

What sets this pasta apart from other pasta dinners is that it’s without a heavy sauce, like alfredo. We are only dealing with butter and garlic, plus a pinch of cream cheese and milk.

Garlic-Butter Spinach and Pasta Recipe | My Favorite Spinach Pasta (3)

I’m tellin’ you, never underestimate the power of a good pasta dish. No… a GREAT pasta dish! This Garlic-Butter Spinach and Pasta recipe is seriously amazing.

I told you once before that we do pasta thrice a week; Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta, Cheesy Chicken Orzo, Baked Eggplant Penne Pasta… you get the point.

How To Make Pasta with Spinach

This pasta with spinach dish is a once-a-week deal. My other half is obsessed with garlic. Even more obsessed with pasta. The man can live on spaghetti… and chocolate CAKE!

  • Boil the pasta according to the directions on the box. I use Whole Grain or Whole Wheat Bow Tie Pasta and it takes about 12 minutes of boil time to get that al dente cooked pasta.
  • Melt butter in a skillet; add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. (I actually just wait for the pasta to be done, then I drain it and use the same pot to melt the butter and create the sauce. Who needs another pot or skillet to wash, ya know whadda mean? ?)
  • Add mounds of baby spinach and cook until wilted.
  • Stir in cooked pasta; add cream cheese and milk; cook until creamy and hot.
  • Serve!

Clearly, in order to enjoy this, you really need to love garlic. And butter. Cream cheese, too. Did I hear a ‘HELL YEAH!’?! Of course I did!!

Garlic-Butter Spinach and Pasta Recipe | My Favorite Spinach Pasta (4)

This is a 20-minute meal that’s completely fool-proof and a perfect quick dish for weeknights that will please even picky eaters.And it is the fastest Olive-Garden-Chef’s-Special type of food you’ll ever make!

How To Store Pasta Leftovers

Transfer cooked pasta to an airtight container; add a drizzle of olive oil and stir through. Cover and keep refrigerated for 3 to 5 days.

ENJOY!

Garlic-Butter Spinach and Pasta

Katerina | Diethood

This Garlic-Butter Spinach and Pasta recipe is seriously good. Fresh spinach and bow tie pasta tossed in a delicious and creamy garlic-butter sauce.

4.72 from 39 votes

Rate this Recipe!

Servings : 4 serves

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces bow tie pasta
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 8 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings, for garnish
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup milk

Instructions

  • Prepare pasta following the directions on the package.

  • Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet or dutch oven.

  • Add garlic and continue to stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  • Add spinach; season with salt, pepper, and basil, and cook until spinach is wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Depending on the size of your skillet, you might have to cook the spinach down in batches.

  • Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the spinach mixture; add the cream cheese and milk.

  • Mix and stir until everything is well incorporated, and the cream cheese is melted.

  • Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.

  • Top with fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings.

  • Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 385 kcal | Carbohydrates: 46 g | Protein: 11 g | Fat: 18 g | Saturated Fat: 10 g | Cholesterol: 47 mg | Sodium: 201 mg | Potassium: 483 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 5882 IU | Vitamin C: 17 mg | Calcium: 112 mg | Iron: 3 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: easy pasta dinner, easy spinach pasta recipe, spinach and garlic pasta, spinach pasta recipe, vegetarian dinner recipes

Did you make this recipe?Leave a Rating!

Categories:

  • Dinner Recipes
  • Pasta
  • Quick Dinner Ideas
  • Vegetarian
Garlic-Butter Spinach and Pasta Recipe | My Favorite Spinach Pasta (2024)

FAQs

Can you add spinach to boiling pasta? ›

Place the pasta in the pot, and cook until it is nearly done (test it for doneness by tasting). Plunge the spinach into the water, and cook until it wilts, less than a minute. Drain quickly, allowing some water to cling to the pasta, and toss pasta and spinach in the bowl with the garlic and olive mixture.

Can you boil spinach? ›

To cook fresh spinach in boiling water, place 1 pound of washed spinach, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water. If you're wondering how long to boil spinach, it should only take a few minutes. Once the steam starts to foam, begin your timer. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender.

Does spinach pasta have gluten? ›

Our fresh Spinach Fettuccine is crafted to deliver on both taste and texture. Made with brown rice flour, this delicious pasta is gluten-free. Because our spinach fettuccine is freshly made, the pasta cooks perfectly al dente in only 2-3 minutes. Toss with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

What is the secret to good pasta? ›

Wait until the water comes to a rapid, aggressive boil before adding your pasta. Throwing in the pasta too early when the water isn't hot enough can result in some sticky, gummy noodles. Patience, friend. Stir right away — and every couple minutes.

How do you intensify garlic flavor? ›

Infuse your cooking oil with garlic. I do this by gently smashing some cloves, putting them in a saucepan, adding oil, and heating it up over a very moderate flame. The garlic gently sizzles, infusing the oil with sweet, complex, roasted garlic aromas, without ever venturing into burnt territorry.

Does adding spinach to pasta make it healthier? ›

In fact, raw spinach packs a good amount of fiber, vitamin C, iron, and calcium into each serving ( 5 ). It's also incredibly versatile — you can mix it into tomato sauce, add it to pasta salad, or use it to brighten up cream-based sauces.

Why do we boil spinach before cooking? ›

The good news is that cooking spinach drastically reduces the amount of oxalic acid found in one serving. According to Food Revolution Network, “Steaming spinach has been shown to cut the oxalic acid by 5-53%. Steaming also allows the spinach to retain its folate content, a B-vitamin that helps your body produce DNA.”

How do you keep spinach green when boiling? ›

How do you keep spinach stay green while you cook it? You can blanch and chill in an ice bath first but it's probably not worth it as it stays pretty green anyway. Depending on the recipe just cook raw spinach until it wilts and remove from the heat. Adding a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice will stop the browning.

Why can't you heat up spinach? ›

Every time you reheat spinach or other veggies that are rich in nitrates, they become increasingly toxic. Here's the deal on those spuds.

Should we throw water after boiling spinach? ›

Spinach is only one of three vegetables we recommend boiling to free up acids and allow them to leach into the boiling water; this brings out a sweeter taste from the spinach. Discard the boiling water after cooking; do not drink it or use it for stock because of its acid content.

Can diabetics eat spinach pasta? ›

Diabetics can eat any kind of pasta; however, it is important for people with diabetes to consider the amount and type of carbohydrates found in their pasta to maintain control of their blood sugar.

Is spinach pasta better than regular pasta? ›

The amount of freeze-dried spinach that is added to the noodles is enough to make it green, but that's about it. There isn't enough to provide any nutritional benefits compared to regular pasta. Your decision to eat refined, whole wheat, green, red, long, short or bow-tie noodles won't have much of an effect anyway.

Is spinach pasta high in carbs? ›

Cooked Spinach Spaghetti Without Salt (1 cup) contains 36.6g total carbs, 36.6g net carbs, 0.9g fat, 6.4g protein, and 182 calories.

What can you put in pasta to Flavour it? ›

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

What gives pasta Flavour? ›

I like butter, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. What simple ingredients can I add to plain cooked pasta to make it taste better? Pesto and Gorgonzola cheese. Minced garlic and chopped onions and bell peppers.

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