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This creamy spinach pasta recipe is simple to make and has a delicious garlic white wine cream sauce. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Looking for more spinach recipes? Try my Sautéed Spinach with Bacon, Creamed Spinach, or Spinach Artichoke Pasta.
Why you’ll love it
Spinach is everyone’s favorite veggie, and in this simple pasta recipe it’s dressed up in a beautiful creamy white wine sauce! I’m not kidding when I say that you’re going to lick the bowl. The sauce is that good.
Sometimes it’s nice to have a meatless meal, and this one will hit the spot. The creamy garlic sauce with white wine is fairly rich, so it’s hearty and filling. My favorite part? It can be on your table in about half an hour.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – use whatever shape of pasta you have on hand or prefer. I used penne.
- Butter and flour – to make a quick roux to thicken the sauce
- Garlic – if y’all know me, you know I can’t resist lots of garlic in pasta recipes!
- White wine – use one you’d actually drink. I prefer something dry like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
- Heavy cream – the cream makes the sauce out of this world and sooo rich
- Italian seasoning – my favorite blend for soups, sauces, and more. It has oregano, rosemary, and other fantastic herbs
- Parmesan – who doesn’t love
somea ton of freshly grated parm on pasta? - Spinach – fresh baby spinach adds brightness and earthy flavor!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Grating your own parmesan cheese makes a HUGE difference to the flavor of a dish, and it also tends to melt better. I use my Microplane to quickly grate it.
- In recipes that call for minced garlic, I simply crush the cloves in my garlic press to make it quick and easy!
- I like using a pair of kitchen tongs to toss the spinach.
How to make creamy spinach pasta
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cook the pasta, and when it’s about 10 minutes away from being done, add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it melts, add the flour in and cook for about 1 minute, stirring fairly often.
- Add in the garlic, followed by the wine (or broth), and then whisk in the cream and Italian seasoning. Let the sauce thicken up, then stir in the parmesan and take the pan off the heat.
- Add the spinach to the skillet, and stirring until it’s wilted, with a splash of the hot pasta water to make it easier. Toss with the drained pasta to the skillet and season with salt & pepper generously!
Substitutions and variations
- You can add cooked chicken to this recipe. Just add it in towards the end to warm through, or you can try my Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta.
- I recommend using fresh spinach. I have not tested it with frozen spinach. If you do use frozen spinach, be sure to thoroughly squeeze the water out, and you may need to reduce the sauce a bit more.
- Sub the cream for something lower fat at your own discretion. Results may vary, and you may need to add more flour to thicken the sauce. It just won’t be as rich.
What to serve with this pasta
- Try some garlic bread or a light side salad. Some of my favorite dressings for a simple green salad are this Ranch Dressing, Creamy Balsamic Dressing, or this Honey Mustard Dressing!
- You could even serve this as a side dish with any number of main courses. Easy Pan Seared Pork Chops, I’m looking at you!
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in a small saucepan over low, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Give it a splash of cream to revive the sauce if needed.
- Creamy sauces don’t freeze well.
Questions about this easy creamy spinach pasta? Let me know in the comments below!
Creamy Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken/veg broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions. You will need to reserve some hot pasta water prior to draining it.
- When the pasta is about 10 minutes away from being done, add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it melts, add the flour in and cook for about 1 minute, stirring fairly often.
- Add in the garlic, followed by the wine (or broth). Let it bubble until it's reduced by half (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).
- Whisk in the cream so the flour dissolves completely, then add in the Italian seasoning. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened up to your liking.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and take the pan off the burner.
- Add the spinach to the skillet, and toss until it's wilted (use tongs or two spoons). I add in a few tablespoons of the hot pasta water prior to draining the pasta to make this process easier.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until coated. Season with salt & pepper as needed (I'm generous with both – there is a lot of spinach in here) and serve right away.
Notes
- Serves 2-4 depending on how hungry people are/what else you serve it with.
- I would not substitute the cream for a lower fat alternative. It may not thicken the same, so you may need to adjust cooking time or add more flour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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damn beautiful . i added 2red chillies and a bunch of garlic chives to make it abit more adult .
thankyou so quick and easy
You’re welcome!
Absolutely delicious…even our 5 year old twins and 18 month grandchildren loved it…they love fresh spinach so this was a big hit! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
That’s great to hear, Lou!! 😀 Thank you!