Creamy Spinach Cheese Pasta (Printable Version)

A luscious pasta with tender spinach in a rich, creamy cheese sauce, ideal for easy weeknight meals.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 ounces penne or fusilli pasta

→ Vegetables

02 - 7 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
06 - 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
07 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ¼ cup cream cheese

→ Seasonings

09 - ½ teaspoon salt, plus extra for pasta water
10 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

12 - Fresh basil leaves or extra Parmesan cheese (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente following package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add chopped spinach to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously until the spinach has wilted.
04 - Reduce heat to low, then add heavy cream, cream cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Stir gently until the cheeses melt completely and the sauce becomes smooth.
05 - Incorporate salt, freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg if desired, adjusting seasoning to taste.
06 - Add the cooked pasta into the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat with the cheese sauce. Use reserved pasta water in small increments if additional creaminess is needed.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil leaves or additional Parmesan cheese as preferred.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes, which means you can serve something elegant on even the busiest nights.
  • The sauce is so creamy and luxurious that nobody suspects it started as weeknight improvisation.
  • You'll taste the difference that melting three types of cheese makes—it's not fancy, just genuinely better.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving that pasta water—it's the secret to keeping the sauce silky as it sits, because the starch in it helps everything emulsify together.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy, it means the heat got too high and the cheeses seized up; lower the heat and add a splash of cold cream, stirring gently until it comes back together.
03 -
  • Keep your heat low once the cream is in the pan—high heat and dairy are not friends, and one wrong move makes the sauce break.
  • Use a wooden spoon to stir, not a metal one, because it feels gentler and helps you sense when the cheeses have fully melted into something smooth.

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