Easy wins again! I’m on day 6 of an 8 day work week, so that means two things: I’m tired and I’m hungry. Quick skillet pasta dishes like this Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta are perfect for such an occasion. They require only a few ingredients, cook up super fast, and leave me feeling full and happy! :)
Anyway, tomorrow is Monday (again) and the week will be long, so I hope this recipe helps make dinner time a little faster, easier, and more enjoyable for you this week! Enjoy!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
What to Serve with Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta
This Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta recipe is kind of a meal on its own, but you may want to add a side dish, like crusty Garlic Bread, No Knead Focaccia Rolls, or a light Simple Side Salad. You can also beef up the recipe by adding some Garlic Herb Baked Chicken Breasts, or browning some Italian sausage in the skillet in the beginning, before the onion and garlic.
Can I Substitute the Cream Cheese?
This version of Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta uses just a touch of cream cheese and Parmesan to make a regular tomato sauce ultra-rich and creamy. If you’re not into cream cheese, you could also add a splash (1/4 cup or so) of half and half or heavy cream to achieve a similar effect.
Can I Use a Different Pasta?
I used regular pasta, but whole wheat would actually be pretty good in this and would add some extra fiber and nutrients to make it a more well rounded meal. You can also switch out the shape for another short pasta, like bowtie pasta or rotini.
Can I Use Frozen Spinach?
I was lucky enough to get spinach on sale for $0.99 per bag (score!), but if fresh spinach is just out of your price range, you can add about 8oz. frozen spinach that has been thawed and squeezed of its excess moisture. This would also be really good with sliced mushrooms. Just cook the mushrooms along with the onions and garlic in the beginning. Or, hey, you could always do a plain creamy tomato sauce. Nothin’ wrong with that!
Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. penne pasta ($0.75)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.28)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.59)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste ($0.03)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.08)
- 2 oz. cream cheese ($0.20)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.31)
- 4 oz. fresh spinach ($0.65)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and continue to boil until tender (7-10 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the creamy tomato sauce. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (3-5 minutes).
- Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and a 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste has mixed into the sauce.
- Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add them to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the cream cheese has fully melted and the sauce is creamy. Add the Parmesan to the skillet and stir until it is melted into the sauce.
- Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted (2-3 minutes). Add the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
- Whisk
- Measuring Cups Spoons
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Video
Love this dish? Try our Spinach Tortellini Skillet!
How to Make Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 8oz. penne pasta. Boil the pasta until tender, then drain in a colander. You’ll prepare the creamy tomato sauce while the pasta is cooking.
Dice one onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add them to a large skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add ½ tsp dried basil, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, a pinch of crushed red pepper, some freshly cracked pepper, and one 15oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices) to the skillet and stir to combine.
Also, add 2 Tbsp tomato paste and ½ cup water to the skillet. This will help make the sauce thicker and with a more tomatoey punch. Continue to stir and cook over medium heat until the tomato paste has been mixed into the sauce.
Turn the heat down to low. Cut 2 oz. cream cheese into chunks and add it to the skillet. Stir or whisk the sauce until the cream cheese has melted into the sauce. It will look a little clumpy at first, but the cream cheese will eventually melt and the sauce will smooth out.
Once the cream cheese has melted in, add ¼ cup grated Parmesan. Stir until the Parmesan has melted into the sauce.
Add 4 oz. fresh spinach to the skillet. Stir the skillet until the heat from the sauce wilts the spinach (1-2 minutes).
Finally, add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet and stir to combine.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Shown garnished with another pinch of Parmesan and freshly cracked pepper.
Lisa:
You could use soy or oat cream, and just leave out the parmesan.
OP:
For your can opener troubles http://world4.info/can-opener-gws-finland/ (or search for “finnish can opener” if the link doesn’t work).
It’s a blustery cold day here in CT and I fell asleep. I needed to feed my family and needed something quick and good. There are always canned tomatoes and pasta in the pantry, and I just brought home spinach last night. I found you with Google, search terms spinach and pasta. My family all agreed that this is a keeper. Thank you so much for sharing.
I just discovered your website and I’m a fan already! Yesterday I made your feta spinach grilled cheese (delicious!) so today I wanted to use the leftover spinach and ended up cooking this dish. It was awesome, even my boyfriend, who usually doesn’t like vegetarian stuff, loved it! By the way, I used two ladles of the penne-water to bind the sauce, the starch in the water does the trick perfectly :)
This recipe is super yummy and easy!
Would it freeze well in individual portions or would the pasta be weird after?
I freeze pasta a lot and it’s great. I would worry a little about the cream cheese sauce, though. That doesn’t always freeze/thaw so well.
Looks amazing. Would it turn out okay leaving out the dairy? Or do you have any suggestions for replacing the dairy, for someone who can’t eat it?
Well, the dairy really is what makes this recipe unique. Leaving it out or replacing it would kind of turn it into a different recipe all together. That being said, a plain tomato & spinach pasta wouldn’t be terrible, but I think I’d add some red pepper flakes or something to make it more interesting. :)
Great recipe, super easy to make and it’s delicious. I added some cooked hot italian sausage to the sauce before adding the spinach and pasta. In regards to the can opener, did someone try to use it to hammer in a nail? Because that’s what my roommate did with ours.
So good! I added chicken and my husband and I both loved this recipe! I can’t wait to make it again.
This was absolutely fantastic!!! It tasted sooo fresh and wonderful, and only took about a half hour to make! Glorious!
came across this on reddit, decided to try it…OMG it’s so yummyyy!!! Love~ and i’m an extremely picky eater! :D
This recipe is simply awesome. I have made it many times for my husband and I and he always comments how good it is. Thanks for sharing!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!! Super easy too. I’ll be making it again for sure!
As a broke student, I would like to thank you. This is all I have. Made myself a pot to last for the week.
this sounds awesome- I am making this for dinner.. wonder if I could use fresh tomatoes instead of the canned?
You can, but you’ll want to cook them down a bit until they get a little saucy. Also, you may need to add some salt to make up for what is in canned tomatoes.
I made this tonight. Delicious. My husband thought it was one of the best recipes ever. I did dink around with the recipe. Added about 1/4 cup of the Sangiovese wine I was drinking, used frozen spinach loose in bag since it’s all I had, added some chopped mushrooms I needed to use up to the onion garlic mixture after 3 minutes but before I added tomatoes. I didn’t have paste so I used a bit of tomato sauce, Better than Bouillon 1/2 tsp and a ladle of the pasta water.
Ahhh!!! Made this last night!!! LOVED IT!!! Will be adding it to my recipe book!