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!
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.
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Nutrition
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.
Do you put half of a 9-oz bag of spinach in (so 4.5 oz spinach) or do you put 9 oz of spinach in there?
Sorry for the confusion. It’s about 4.5 oz., or half of my 9oz. bag. :)
That looks and sounds so yummy. :-) will have to try this. Thanks
Simon
This recipe is so perfect! One of my husband’s favorites. So simple to make too. Just follow the directions and you will have a delicious dinner on your hands with some left over.
I tried this recipe and i love that it tastes so good but is so cheap. I find it hard to get a vegetarian recipe that actually fills your stomach. Even my 18 month old picky eater ate a lot!
http://2sharemyjoy.com/quick-tomato-spinach-penne-recipe/
Where do you buy your groceries?
Currently I buy most of my groceries at a local grocery store chain, but some I buy from Whole Foods. This blog has been going for several years, though, and my shopping habits have changed over time and depending on where I was living. :)
Hey Beth, do you think I can use frozen spinach? :)
You can, but the texture isn’t quite as nice in this dish. And be careful because some frozen spinach that is labeled as “chopped” can be in teeny little pieces and it will look like spinach dust in the pasta. Hahah :)
My bf is a picky eater, but he just loves this dish. I just made it 20 minutes ago! Thanks for the recipe :)
Greeting from Berlin/Germany
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
I’m not sure this one will freeze so well. It will probably be a bit dryer upon thawing (the pasta will continue to absorb the moisture), so it won’t be as saucy.
Looks delicious! I just have 2 questions: can I substitute cream cheese for cream and can I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones?
Cream cheese has a tangy flavor that regular cream doesn’t have and the cream cheese also helps thicken the sauce. Fresh tomatoes might not yield as much juiced as the canned variety, so it might not be as saucy. Plus, you’ll probably want to add a dash of salt since canned tomatoes usually contain some. :)
I have made this a few times and I love it! I love a creamy red sauce so this is right up my alley. I definitely always use 1/3 less fat cream cheese and I have always thought it tastes great. Other things I have tried is adding a few grilled shrimp for a protein component and I really love it with the shrimp. I have also sautéed asparagus and thrown that in with the pasta as well. I would just make sure to avoid the tough ends of asparagus when you are trimming the asparagus into bits. Great recipe and I would also recommend using a basil, oregano, and garlic (Italian style) diced tomato as well. Do no use chile tomatoes. Love this recipe! Thanks!/
Made this tonight and didnt have any tomato paste on hand..also I added chicken and it came out delish. Totally going to make this again.
Just made this at home for my mum. We both loved it. Really simple but delicious and fresh
Thanks for the recipe! I make this all the time at home. Do you know if it would be possible to do this with fresh tomatoes instead of canned? I live abroad now and canned tomatoes aren’t available here. I also don’t want to use all my parmesan, so will probably halve the amount in the recipe. What do you think?
It might be tricky with fresh tomatoes because it’s hard to know how much juice they’ll let off and that will affect how much sauce is created. The Parmesan does add quite a bit of flavor (and salt), so using half may make it a bit on the bland side.
Absolutely delicious! Thanks!
The pasta looks yuuumy
Thanks for great recipe :)
I made this last night and everyone raved! I wanted to tell you I added roasted red peppers and it really added a great sweetness to the dish. My husband is still talking about it the next day.