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.
Debdub says
Love this! I use it on spinach pasta…I also add a little tabasco for heat! thanks for this great recipe!
Erren says
Sounds good! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! 😊
Emily Mullins says
So I made this tonight, and fed it to six kids. All six ate it and liked it. Mind blown.
Erren says
Hi Emily, I LOVE feedback like this! Awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know! 😁
Kristin says
So I made this tonight and it turned out extremely green with spinach overload and very little flavor. (And that was with adding garlic powder to try and help out). Any suggestions? I’m wondering if perhaps the recipe should call for just 1 8-oz bag of spinach rather than 2 bags. Maybe then it would be more like the pics.
Thanks! Hope I can try again with some suggestions.
Sarah says
It’s definitely good with some garlic and extra Parmesan, which I add to everything these days. I probably added them to taste without even thinking about it. Also make sure you cook the spinach down really well that helps too. You could also try mixing this in with a little cream for an Alfredo taste. 🙂
Sarah L. says
I found this today after my doctor gave me “homework” to eat more spinach. This is so good!! I added extra garlic and then baked it using one of my favorite methods (layered with extra cheeses). So much yum, thank you!
Erren says
Hi Sarah, Sorry for the late reply! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Rach's Recipes says
Loved this! I also added bits of chopped ham, really excellent recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Erren says
Sounds awesome! I’ll have to try that! So glad you liked it!
Fin says
Hi Erren, I make a lot of pasta dishes at home so your recipe very much appeals. That’s tomorrow evening sorted! Looks delicious! Thank you!
Erren says
You’re welcome Finland! I’m happy to help! ?
Tabytha says
I made this for dinner and it is absolutely delicious! It’s so easy to make it your own by adding different spices and just as easy to make! Thank you!!
Erren says
You’re very welcome! So glad you liked it!
Wilma D says
Hi Erren, I made this today for a quick early dinner and it was a hit!! I loved how simple and quick it all came together. I used zucchini noodles, sauteed in the same pan that I had sauteed the garlic and spinach. I added water to the food processor, as I did not use pasta. It was so good, really lovely. Easy, quick, healthy dish. Thank you!!! I added salmon as my protein, it worked well for me.
Rosie says
I can’t have diary, but I really want to try out this recipe. Any suggestions on what I can replace the cheese with, Erren?
Kimee says
I’m making this tonight. I have shredded Dailya cheese (dairy free rice cheese) Also you can buy a vegan parm. cheese. My daughter cant’s have dairy or gluten, so we learn to change recipes. Hope this Helps Rosie. 🙂
Amy says
Tried this tonight for the first time and it was very good. My kids loved it. I think next time I may swap out the pasta water for chicken broth to add just a little more flavor. Definitely going into our rotation!
Erren says
Hi Amy, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it! It’s always nice to get feedback like this! Great idea with the chicken broth! 🙂