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With less than 10 ingredients, this delicious Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta couldn’t be easier to prepare. Ready in 30 minutes, it makes a fantastic weeknight meal!
Jump to Recipe Print RecipeThis recipe for Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta was originally published in July 2016. The post has been updated.
Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes
Not only is this Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta super easy to make but it’s also quick to prepare, nutritious and really easy to adapt to your liking. You can choose to use the recipe as is, or as a guide and substitute the spinach with a different vegetable. My favourites are zucchini, mushrooms, peas, or even a combination. You can also add some protein, I think shrimp or chicken would taste fantastic. With so many options available, you can easily make this dish and change up the protein and veggies to keep from getting tired of it. Anyway you decide to make it, this pasta dish makes a fantastic mid-week meal.
Fresh Tomato and Spinach Pasta
This Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta came together from my desire to use up some leftover ingredients I had from another meal. I used fresh spinach in this recipe, but frozen spinach would also work. I added grape tomatoes, but you can use cherry tomatoes or even just a regular tomato diced into medium pieces. For the pasta, I opted for Lumaca Rigata. This pasta is shaped like a snail and is grooved, which really works well in this recipe since the sauce makes its way into the cavity of the noodle and creates bites full of flavour. If you can’t find it, pasta shells are a great substitute or any other short pasta.
If you look at the ingredients for this recipe, you’ll see that cream isn’t listed. That’s because there isn’t actually any cream in this pasta dish, the creaminess comes from adding goat cheese and pasta water to the skillet.
Though you don’t absolutely need it, the addition of fresh basil adds freshness to this dish. Enjoy!
More Fabulous Pasta Dishes
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. (226g) approx. dried pasta * I used Lumaca Rigata
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic medium, finely minced
- 5 cups fresh spinach washed and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup heaping grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1/2 cup approx. tomato puree or passata
- 3 to 4 tablespoons goat cheese crumbled
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8-10 leaves fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese optional
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just short of being done since the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce. Don’t forget to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water when draining the pasta.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Cook the onion for 2 to 3 minutes stirring every minute or so. Add the garlic and keep cooking until onions are translucent.
- Add the dried oregano, 1/4 tsp. salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Stir the onions and garlic with the seasonings.
- Add tomato puree and enough water to thin out the sauce. Let it come to a simmer and add the halved grape (or cherry) tomatoes, simmer for a couple of minutes then add the spinach.
- Once the spinach has wilted, add the goat cheese.
- When pasta is just a couple of minutes away from being cooked, drain it, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Add the pasta and some of the pasta water to the sauce. Cook a couple of minutes more or until pasta is al dente. Add more pasta water if sauce is too thick.
- Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
- Just before serving, add the chopped fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, or more goat cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
We had almost the same meal last night but with peas and tomatoes with rigatoni, next it will be with spinach. 🙂
So much fun to experiment with different flavours and textures!
What a great blog Fida, Bravo.
Thank you so much Bouchra, your comment means a lot.
Perfect summer dish as we have such great tasting tomatoes now.
Exactly, love to use products that are in season!
This looks so…divine!
Thanks so much Florentina!
Thanks for sharing a much needed easy meal to prepare after a busy day!. I will apply this formula. It’s great
I really hope you enjoy it!
Wow, looks fabulous, Fida. Though all the options you mention sound great, I’ll stick to your picture perfect pasta featured for my first go with the recipe! Thanks for sharing a much needed easy meal to prepare after a busy day!
Thanks so much Nancy, I’ve certainly enjoyed this version!
Fida that looks absolutely delicious and I love how quick and easy it is.
Thanks Suzanne! Just goes to show that delicious doesn’t have to complicated or time consuming!