Garlic Spinach Pasta
Lemon Garlic Pasta with Spinach is a simple yet flavorful dish made with tender pasta tossed in a garlicky olive oil sauce, fresh spinach, lemon, red pepper flakes, basil, and plenty of Parmigiano cheese. Ready in about 20 minutes, this light and satisfying pasta is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner made with just a handful of wholesome ingredients.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- ½ pound spaghetti or bucatini any long pasta of choice will work
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large fresh garlic cloves minced
- 12 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
- Reserved pasta cooking water
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Optional: season with homemade toasted breadcrumbs or toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season well with kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook al dente according to package instructions (about 8 to 9 minutes). You will reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
- While the pasta is cooking, the sauce comes together quickly. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lemon juice. Then add the spinach in batches—season with salt and pepper. Cook spinach until it is soft and wilted-about 5 minutes, giving a quick stir every minute or so.
- Drain pasta when cooked to al dente, and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the spinach. Add the reserved pasta water and toss everything to combine. Add parmigiano cheese and keep stiring. Add lemon zest and fresh basil. Toss until everything is well-combined.
- If desired, drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve with more Parmigiano cheese and garnish with fresh basil. Optional: season with toasted and seasoned breadcrumbs or toasted pinenuts. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook the Pasta al Dente: Make sure to cook the pasta until it's al dente, which means it's cooked but still firm to the bite. Overcooking the pasta can make it mushy and affect the texture.
- Use Fresh Spinach: Fresh spinach has a better flavor and texture than frozen spinach.
- Multitask: Cook the pasta while making the sauce. The spinach sauce comes together fast, so start cooking the pasta first since you need the pasta water for the sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 145g | Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 436mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5652IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 269mg | Iron: 2mg
