Fastest Pasta With Spinach Sauce Recipe (2024)

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Maria

I dislike glops of spinach in any recipe. Instead chop spinach a la Chiffonade: roll several leaves together to make a cigar-like form and cut across the width. You'll get lovely green ribbons.

Sara

I find that it needs a little something more, so I usually add a little lemon juice to the olive oil/olive mix, then serve with freshly-grated parmesan. The acid from the lemon juice brightens the whole dish.

ellen

I loved this. I did add toasted chopped pignoli just because i had them. Word to wise: Do not cook this for a first date. There's no telling where the spinach shards will end up in your teeth, to remain undetected until you laugh out loud...

ALSinDC

This is yummy. A slight variation: just heap all the spinach into a colander. Then drain the pasta on top of it. The result is bright green spinach, perfectly wilted.

cbg1300

Fantastic. I used more spinach (chiffonaded) and less pasta. Also sautéed spinach with garlic (don't like uncooked garlic), added it with pasta to bowl with olive oil and chili flakes. Added some pine nuts for added protein. Big hit.

Vicki

Sorry, we thought this lacked flavor. Added truffle oil, grated parmesan, and finally some capers to spice it up a bit.

Mary

I could eat this every night! Thanks to those who added their suggestions. I used Bucatini, baby spinach, finely chopped. After the pasta cooked, I drained, saved pasta water, sauteed 3 cloves minced garlic in large saute pan in white truffle and extra virgin olive oil with the red pepper flakes. I wilted the spinach, added toasted pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, and half a jar of Kalamata olives, chopped. I put the Bucatini back in, a scoop of pasta water, grated parmigiano reggiano. Terrific!

Sheila Hawes

Add:Do NOT boil the spinachfull clam shell of spinach and saute with (added total of three garlic cloves), olives, chopped tin of anchovies or panchetta.Use linguinitoss together with lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, toasted pine nuts & parm cheesetop with toasted and buttered large bread crumbs

Mary

This is yummy. A slight variation: just heap all the spinach into a colander. Then drain the pasta on top of it. The result is bright green spinach, perfectly wilted.Do NOT boil the spinachfull clam shell of spinach and saute with (added total of three garlic cloves), olives, chopped tin of anchovies or panchetta.Use linguinitoss together with lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, toasted pine nuts & parm cheesetop with toasted and buttered large bread crumbs

Lois

I've been making this for years. It's one of my favorite quick-and-easy pasta recipes. Variations: 1) Cut cherry tomatoes in half, squeeze out the seeds, then mix them into the garlic-olive mixture. 2) Sprinkle toasted bread crumbs and/or bacon bits on top of the pasta when it's in the serving bowl. Delicious!

Meta

Loved it. Used 1 bunch of spinach, 2 garlic cloves, and 20 olives.

Matthew Schmidt

Great. Fast and easy. I cribbed from a similar NYTimes recipe and added ~1/2 cup of torn basil. The only problem I had was that the spinach seemed to clump together. Perhaps I chopped it too much?

Nancy

I keep a mixture of grated parm, panko bread crumbs, and lemon rind on hand; it's kinda my secret sauce for lots of things. Sprinkled some in this dish. Magnifique.

Deborah VC

This was delicious! Modified per several commenters: for 11 oz of pasta: heated olive oil on low heat and simmered two large, sliced cloves of garlic, 2 large mashed anchovies, about 1 1/2 T capers. Then slowly cooked about 1 lb chopped spinach, turning over in olive oil until wilted. Added 15-20 chopped Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives. Put cooked pasta into mix, along with some pasta water to loosen. Finished with lemon zest and focaccia/panko toasted crumbs. Yum!

David Estroff

heap all the spinach into a colander. Then drain the pasta on top of it. The result is bright green spinach, perfectly wilted.

kwlly

Add lemon zest to sauce and then fresh lemon to top with pepper

OceanGirl

I have made 100s of unique recipes from this app but this is one I come back to time and time again. So delicious for a quick meal. It can be adjusted for one, two, or a crowd. I up the garlic and olives a bit and often use pecorino instead of Parmesan but it never disappoints. And faster than takeout!

Branyce

Such a great recipe!!!

Josie

Delicious quick and easy! I sliced the spinach, used ~20 olives, added 1/2 lemon zest, 1/2 lemon juice and 1 generous tsp red pepper flakes. Topped with pine nuts and parmesan.

Sheila Jane

In the first step it needs to say to place the garlic, olives etc in a large serving bowl. Reader can assume these ingredients are just being combined for later use.

Meridith

Definitely needs Parmesan. And someone suggested lemon… it needs *something.* I used grated Romano cheese in mine. Otherwise I like the simplicity of the recipe.

David

This doesn't work at all -- ended up with a large puddle of water at the bottom of the pasta!

Andrew

This wasn't bad, but was a bit bland. It could have definitely used at least some lemon.

D Astoria

Excellent in every way!!!! Wouldn’t change a thing

okay

Kids ate it. Needs capers or lemon or something. Definitely needs Parmesan

Flora

Delicious as written. The red pepper flakes really make it—don’t skimp. I used whole-grain thin spaghetti and frozen leaf spinach because that’s what I had. Might try kale or broccolini next time.

Rita

4/5/22 very good and easy!

TracyM

This was a flavor bomb. I will cook the garlic next time—raw garlic is too much for me—and might need to add more…but quite delicious. I tossed it in a pan with a bit of cooking water to tone down the garlic. I used baby spinach and added a bit of Parmesan when serving. Will definitely make this again.

JW

Made this even faster and easier by using frozen steam-in-bag chopped spinach and frozen chopped garlic over frozen tortellini. The wrinkles in the tortellini grabbed the spinach and olives nicely. Cooked the spinach per package instructions and added it to the drained pasta. Very tasty and super easy.

Amy Mayer

I think I might add pine nuts instead of olives

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Fastest Pasta With Spinach Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can I put spinach in boiling pasta water? ›

Less pans, yes please! Any hack that involves less washing up is a good one in our books, so we were thrilled to see TikTok embracing a useful tip for wilting spinach. If you're making a pasta recipe that involves spinach, you can use the water that your pasta's been boiling in to wilt it.

How to jazz up boring pasta? ›

Fresh or dried herbs will also add flavor to pasta dishes.

"I use a lot of parsley, either fresh or even dried," Montillo said. "Oregano, garlic powder, onion flakes, black pepper all work well in a variety of sauces."

Do you boil spinach? ›

To cook fresh spinach in boiling water, place 1 pound of washed spinach, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water. If you're wondering how long to boil spinach, it should only take a few minutes. Once the steam starts to foam, begin your timer. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender.

Does adding spinach to pasta make it healthier? ›

Heart-Healthy Properties: Spinach is low in calories and fat while being rich in nutrients that support heart health. The combination of fiber, vitamins, and minerals in spinach pasta can help lower cholesterol levels, maintain healthy blood pressure, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Why should spinach be boiled? ›

Spinach. The leafy green is packed with nutrients, but you'll absorb more calcium and iron if you eat it cooked. The reason: Spinach is loaded with oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium but breaks down under high temperatures. What Do You Really Get When You Buy Organic?

Why add butter to pasta sauce? ›

Step 5: Add Fat

A small amount of fat—extra-virgin olive oil or butter—is essential to good pasta sauce texture. Without fat, you have at best watery sauce (nobody has ever said, "Waiter, my pasta is not quite wet enough"), and at worst sauce that over-thickens with starch alone and takes on a pasty texture.

How to make pasta for idiots? ›

Pasta Cooking for Dummies
  1. #1 Salted water. 10:100:1000. ...
  2. #2 Boiling water. Add the pasta to the water once it's boiling, not before. ...
  3. #3 No oil, never rinse. Please, just no. ...
  4. #4 Test for doneness. The sauce shall always wait for the pasta, never the other way round. ...
  5. #5 Reserve cooking water.
Sep 8, 2020

What can I add to pasta to make it better? ›

Here's a variety of tasty vegetables you can load into your pasta for their flavor, fiber, and nutrients.
  1. Broccoli. Broccoli is a nutritious and versatile vegetable that makes a great addition to any pasta dish. ...
  2. Mushrooms. ...
  3. Peas. ...
  4. Spinach. ...
  5. Tomatoes. ...
  6. Asparagus.
Apr 11, 2022

Why can't you heat up spinach? ›

Not Safe: Spinach

Reheating spinach could be directly linked to increased cancer risk. Green leafy vegetables like spinach contain compounds called nitrates. When nitrates are heated, they can get broken down into other compounds that increase the risk of cancer. On their own, nitrates are harmless.

What happens when you put spinach in boiling water? ›

It will destroy the texture, colour, and nutrients. In my opinion, the best way to cook fresh spinach is to either steam it, or sauté it. If you steam it, then only for a few minutes, until it's still green. Then serve with a drizzle of white vinegar.

How do you know when spinach is cooked? ›

It will start to wilt down quite quickly, once it has wilted (about 1-2 mins) drain it through a colander and allow all the excess water to run out, pressing it with the back of a spoon or underside of a ladle will help force excess water out of the spinach through the colander.

What can I add to pasta boiling water? ›

Contrary to popular myth, adding oil into the water does not stop pasta sticking together. It will only make the pasta slippery which means your delicious sauce will not stick. Instead, add salt to the pasta water when it comes to the boil and before you add the pasta.

Can you boil vegetables in the same water as pasta? ›

Blanch Vegetables in the Water

You can blanch (quickly boil) these vegetables right in the seasoned pasta water. You can add quick cooking vegetables like green peas to the water when the pasta is almost done and drain the pasta and peas together before saucing.

Should I add anything to the water when boiling pasta? ›

Once water is boiling, add salt. We recommend about 2 tablespoons of coarse sea salt to every 5 quarts of water. Don't be afraid to salt your pasta water.

Is boiled spinach water good? ›

Cooking spinach can lead to a reduction in certain water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and folate, due to heat exposure and leaching into cooking water. However, cooking spinach actually increases the bioavailability of other nutrients, such as iron and calcium.

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