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.
SumathiD says
Easy to make, after purée ing the spinach, I added half and half with a pinch of pepper and tossed it with cooked fettuccine in the pan. Kids loved it
Erren's Kitchen says
Sounds good SumathiD, It’s awesome to hear the kids enjoyed it!
Tara says
This was excellent! Easy and a crowd pleaser even for my picky eaters! I added basil and parsley and chicken!
Erren's Kitchen says
That is awesome to hear Tara, and your added extra sounds delicious!
An says
I love how quick this was. Thanks for the recipe! I used a few spoons of fresh grated coconut (as a substitute for coconut milk) instead of the cheese to get the creamy finish. It works well, and the flavour of coconut is masked nicely by the garlic, spinach and rosemary.
Erren's Kitchen says
That does sound delicious An!
Steve Bowlus says
A bit of jazz: I throw in a couple tablespoons of prepared basil pesto. But this is very good as is (I’m very fond of spinach!)
Erren's Kitchen says
That sounds like a good shout Steve!
Jo says
Thank you. I made it without the cheese, since I didn’t have any, and it was delicious.
Erren's Kitchen says
It is still really good without cheese isn’t it Jo!
Cathy Atkinson says
Absolute winner! ‘Greenphobe’ hubby was very impressed and adult son gave it a double thumbs up and ‘add that to our list!’ I got to make this because I was gifted the contents of our daughter’s fridge as she headed off on a holiday and this included a large container of fabulous looking baby spinach she had sourced from a local grower’s market. Too good to let spoil! So I hunted for spinach recipes and stumbled upon this treasure and so delighted I did! The only thing I added was some chopped toasted almonds on top to serve (would have used pine nuts if I had them but I suspect cashews and macadamias would work also).
Highly recommend giving this a go.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you for your lovely words, Cathy!
Mimi says
We loved it! I made it for two cutting all the ingredients in half (using 2 sliced cloves of garlic). I also tossed in some diced, fresh roma tomatoes and a few kalamata of olives at the end. They added a nice touch of color and flavor. I’m sure we will enjoy this dish again and again, maybe with zoodles next time. Thanks for the inspiration!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you, Mimi, that does sound delicious!
Fern says
I really love this recipe! I usually put in a tablespoon of pesto in the blender as well. Make sure to slice the garlic not mince, as it will burn. Thanks for the great recipe!
Erren's Kitchen says
Sounds tasty, I’m glad you enjoyed it, Fern!
juli says
impossible that such a simple recipe can be quite so delicious.
it’s an immediate staple on my playlist now. thank you thank you thank you!
Erren's Kitchen says
Ah, Juli, that’s awesome to hear, Thank you!
Cara says
Hi, do you think this will work with water spinach instead of baby spinach?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Cara, yes I think it will!