This spaghetti with spinach sauce recipe is a super simple pasta sauce that’s quick, healthy, and really flavorful. This vibrant sauce is made with grated cheese, giving it a creamy, delicious taste.
Serve with warm, Homemade Garlic Bread and a simple salad for an easy weeknight dinner.
Pasta With Spinach
If you’re after some hearty comfort food on a budget, this vegetarian pasta is just the thing.
Why This Recipe Works
- Using sliced fresh garlic instead of minced adds a punch of flavor without being overwhelmingly garlicky.
- Blending the sauce with the salted pasta water adds a silky texture as well as seasoning.
- Using fresh spinach instead of frozen packs this dish with extra nutrients you don’t get with frozen vegetables.
- Using fresh Parmesan cheese adds creaminess and depth of flavor.
A Versatile Spinach Pasta Recipe
This is also a very versatile dish. I’ve had readers report back that they’ve used anything from salmon to pistachios as variations. Don’t be afraid to add your own personal touch to this easily adaptable recipe.
This spaghetti with spinach sauce is not only delicious, but it’s really healthy too.
Spinach Buying Guide
- When buying fresh spinach, look for leaves that have a dark green color. Avoid any with yellowing color or wilting.
- Avoid spinach with slimy leaves or have a sour, musty odor.
The Health Benefits of Eating Spinach
Spinach has so many health benefits. It’s high in iron, as well as vitamins A and C. Spinach is loaded with not only nutrients, but it’s also rich in antioxidants.
It’s said that eating spinach can benefit eye health, reduce stress, help prevent cancer, and reduce blood pressure levels. So, I eat it often and this dish is one of my favorite ways to prepare it!
Cooking Perfect Spaghetti
- Don’t add oil to the cooking water. Adding oil to the water to keep it from sticking will cause the sauce to slip off the Spaghetti.
- Salt like you mean it. The cooking water should taste like the ocean. This is the only time you’re able to season pasta and keep it from tasting bland.
- Wait for a rapid boil. Starches in the spaghetti absorb water instantly and so you want the water as hot as possible to begin cooking properly. Adding the spaghetti too soon may cause it to cook improperly.
- Stir during cooking. Occasionally stirring the spaghetti while cooking will keep it from clumping together.
How To Make Spaghetti With Spinach Sauce
Start a pot of water for the pasta and cook the spaghetti until just undercooked.
Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté.
Add the spinach to the pan.
Sauté with the garlic. Once wilted, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Before draining the pasta, reserve a cup of the pasta water.
Drain the pasta, and set aside.
Add the spinach and garlic mixture to a food processor ( or blender).
Add the cheese and half of the reserved pasta water.
Puree until it forms a sauce (adding more pasta water if needed).
Add the sauce back into the pan.
Add the par-cooked spaghetti.
Stir to combine and heat through, adding more pasta water if needed.
Once the spaghetti is cooked through, taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve sprinkled with extra grated cheese.
A Healthy Recipe For Kids
The lovely, leafy spinach in this spaghetti with spinach sauce recipe makes for a flavorful and intriguing bright green pasta that even kids will want to dive into!
Case in point:
Every time one of my son’s close friend comes over, he always asks me what we were having for dinner. Followed by ‘Can we please have that green spaghetti you make? That’s so good; I love it!’
How could I say no to that? Luckily, it’s so easy to make!
This recipe is the perfect example of how you can hide veggies in food to trick the kids into eating them because otherwise, he wouldn’t touch a bowl full of spinach!
Erren’s Top Tips
- Work fast with the garlic. Garlic burns easily, especially when chopped or sliced. If you’re worried it may burn, keep a little water handy and add a tablespoon or two before adding the spinach to the pan.
- To puree the sauce, I use a food processor, but a blender would also work if you add the pasta water in before blending.
- I use fresh spinach, but frozen would work too if it’s thawed and squeezed of excess water.
Other Great Pasta Dishes
Did you make this?
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Let’s Make Spaghetti with Spinach Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves sliced
- 16 oz fresh baby spinach washed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound spaghetti
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese plus more for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook to soften, but not quite brown.
- Add the spinach and sauté with the garlic until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining. Drain, and set aside.
- Add the spinach and garlic mixture to a food processor or blender with the cheese and half of the pasta water. Puree until it forms a sauce (adding more pasta water if needed).
- Add the sauce back into the pan to combine and heat through, again adding more pasta water if needed.
- Once heated through, taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve sprinkled with extra grated cheese.
Tips + Notes
- Work fast with the garlic. Garlic burns easily, especially when chopped or sliced. If you’re worried it may burn, keep a little water handy and add a tablespoon or two before adding the spinach to the pan.
- To puree the sauce, I use a food processor, but a blender would also work if you add the pasta water in before blending.
- I use fresh spinach, but frozen would work too if it’s thawed and squeezed of excess water.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published in April of 2014, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and a video August of 2018.
Jhen says
Hi can I add chicken breast or shrimp for this recipe?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Jhen, yes I’m sure it would taste great with both of those 🙂
Yosi says
Amazing! My new favorite meal. I cooked my spinach with onions and fresh chilli pepper and puréed same. Amazing flavour!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you liked it, it is so versatile isn’t it? 🙂
Alana Markus says
do you think this sauce can be frozen?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Alana, I haven’t ever frozen it so I don’t know how well it does freeze (obviously it’s better fresh), however, there is no reason why you can’t freeze in a freezer-safe container, for no more than 3 months. I would defrost in the fridge thoroughly before reheating. Good luck 🙂
Candace says
Did you try freezing it? I’m curious how it turned how!
adie says
I made this tonight. My mom is MEGA picky but loved it!
We had some spinach and garlic growing in the backyard so I thought i’d give it a whirl. I added some garlic greens for some extra flavour and I only had Farfalle at hand, so used that!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you liked it, and with such fresh ingredients, amazing! 🙂
Erin says
I can’t believe how much my son (who hates veggies) loved this dish! You are my hero! 🙂
Erren Hart says
That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m so happy he enjoyed the recipe so much! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Priya Suman says
very simple and quick recipe. Added fried mushrooms and red pepper to it. The taste elevated multifold.
Erren's Kitchen says
That sounds delicious Priya, glad you liked it 🙂
Amy Butte says
Really yummy. I also added fresh sage and lemon juice. My kids (and I) liked it better than pesto, even the one who doesn’t eat much veggies ate it up.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Amy, that’s fantastic, I’m so glad everyone liked it 🙂
Nada chahine says
I loved this recipe and all your recipes . Thank you so much for the details you’ve been giving us that we won’t find it anywhere else. Love from Beirut !
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Nada, thank you so much, I’m so pleased you like the recipes 🙂
Victoria says
I loved this recipe so much!! Easy, fast and flavourful!!!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Victoria 🙂
Kimberly Kliefoth says
This was amazing, we decided to add some toasted pine nuts and sundries tomatoes. We will be making again.
Erren's Kitchen says
That sounds lovely Kimberly, glad you liked it 🙂