Description
A luscious and easy-to-make creamy tomato and spinach pasta featuring a flavorful tomato sauce enriched with cream cheese and Parmesan, perfectly coating tender penne pasta and fresh spinach for a satisfying vegetarian meal ready in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Pasta
- ½ lb penne pasta
Sauce
- 1 yellow onion, small diced (340g, about 1.5 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 14.5 oz (1 can) diced tomatoes
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup (125ml) water
- 2 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (30g)
- 4 oz fresh spinach
Instructions
- Gather Ingredients: Collect all ingredients and prepare them by dicing the onion small and mincing the garlic.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil on high heat, add the penne pasta, and cook until tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta using a colander and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Make Tomato Sauce: Add the canned diced tomatoes with juices, dried oregano, dried basil, crushed red pepper, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine. Then add tomato paste and ½ cup water, stirring until the tomato paste has fully blended into the sauce.
- Add Cream Cheese and Parmesan: Reduce heat to low. Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add to the skillet. Whisk continuously until the cream cheese melts and creates a creamy sauce. Stir in grated Parmesan until fully incorporated.
- Wilt Spinach: Add fresh spinach to the skillet and gently stir until the spinach wilts, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked penne pasta to the skillet and toss to coat the pasta evenly with the creamy tomato spinach sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
- For a richer flavor, you can use full-fat cream cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- Adjust crushed red pepper to control the level of spiciness.
- Fresh spinach can be substituted with baby spinach or kale, but cooking time may vary.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently on stove or microwave to avoid curdling the creamy sauce.
