Creamy Tomato Spinach Pasta is what’s for dinner tonight! It’s full of fresh flavors, like tomato and spinach, and ready in minutes.
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You know what I love about easy to make pasta recipes? Itโs that while your pasta cooks you can make a delicious sauce to go over the top of it in less than 30 minutes!
Sometimes it takes less than that, but definitely no more.
For this creamy tomato spinach pasta, I deviated a little from what I normally do with my cream sauce.
Normally I make a bechamel, which I love the thickness of this kind of sauce and went with something a little less heavy. Honestly, I kind of like how it simplified the recipe some.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY TOMATO SPINACH PASTA
Ingredients:
- 1 pound short cut pasta, like mini penne
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
How do I make the sauce?
To make the sauce you just need a few basic ingredients you probably already have at home. We start with our base of onions and olive oil; you can never go wrong with these two simple ingredients.
Next, we add a little bit of fresh garlic.
The first time I tested this recipe out I made it with garlic powder, which is fine to use if you have that instead, but there is just something about fresh garlic sautรฉed in a pan with olive oil and onions.
What kind of tomatoes do I use?
When picking your tomatoes, you want to try and use the freshest tomato possible.
Originally, I made this with Roma because itโs my favorite variety of tomatoes, but the ones in my grocery store were full of water and just not good.
My husband suggested cherry tomatoes. It was a great suggestion! They contain less water, so I felt like I was actually eating tomatoes and not mush.
Why do I need to use fresh spinach?
Again, the fresher your ingredients the better your sauce will taste. Frozen spinach could work in this if you squeeze all of the liquid out of it after you cook it, but I would not recommend it.
Also, you could easily substitute kale in the place of the spinach. Weโve done it and itโs super tasty too!
What kind of pasta should I use?
For me, right now I am on a kick of using the smallest noodle possible. Iโm not really sure why that is, maybe because they cook faster?
Also, the kids love the smaller noodles so it works for us! Any short-cut pasta will work, from penne to rigatoni to bowties.
Looking for more pasta recipes? How about trying this creamy sausage and tomato pasta if you are looking for something with a little more protein! You might like this spaghetti alla carbonara too!
Want to follow along?
If youโre on Facebook come check out this fun little group Iโve got going on. Instagram is a fun resource Iโm using right now, too. If you make any recipes be sure to tag them with #bittersideofsweetrecipes so I can see your creations!
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Creamy Tomato Spinach Pasta
Equipment
- Zulay 2 Pack (9" & 12") Tongs For Cooking With Silicone Tips - Stainless Steel Kitchen Tongs With Lock Mechanism - Non Stick Silicone Tongs For Cooking, Grill, BBQ, Serving & More (Silver- Aqua Sky)
Ingredients
- 1 pound short cut pasta like mini penne
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook mini penne according to the package.
- In the meantime, add olive oil, onions, garlic and salt to the pan. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until softened.
- Add spinach to the pan. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes or until wilted.
- Pour in milk and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
- When penne is done, drain. Toss in penne, stir well.
- Top with cheese.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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