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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
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.
About that can opener– check to see if the screw that the metal hinges on is loose. Mine sometimes loosens which causes the gears to not line up
Awww, I wish I would have checked that before :P I already bought a new one (that came with a lifetime warranty, so hopefully I’m good!).
another home run Beth! thanks so much!
I know the recipe asks for canned tomatoes, but I have a ton of fresh tomatoes I just bought! Should I just use a couple tomatoes and add water to make up for the lack of juice?
Yes, that would probably work. Canned tomatoes can sometimes have a slightly more concentrated flavor, but I think it will still be good.
This dish got a “spectacular!” from my partner. I mostly followed the recipe but didn’t have cream cheese so I just used cream instead. If I used cream again, I’d cut down on how much water I put in, to make the sauce a bit thicker.
I was also short on fresh spinach so I heated up a bit of frozen spinach and threw it in along with the fresh to bulk it up a bit.
Delicious, quick meal! Would be perfect with a big hunk of garlic bread…Thanks for the recipe!
Where does one buy spinach for $.50!?! I pay at least $6 for 9 oz!! (Mind you I live in NYC)
Yeah, I mentioned that in the post because it was an insanely good sale price! The bags were 99 cents a pop! Woot! Lucky me :) You can use frozen spinach if you have to. I can sometimes find the huge bags of spinach (they call it “cooking spinach” but it’s still just baby spinach) for almost the same price as the small salad-sized bags (about $3).
yet another home run, Beth! my boyfriend, my sister, and I scarfed the whole recipe down with some garlic bread! I think the next time I make it, I’ll use the crockpot marinara I made from your recipe and just add the spinach and cream cheese, so it will be even more budget-friendly.
Oh, and I added some sun-dried tomatoes, too. phenomenal!
Thanks for the recipe, Beth!
I had something similar to this once, but with the addition of chopped bacon mixed in. Made for a “BLT” pasta dish. Seriously good :)
Oooh, that sounds amazing!
Just finished making (and eating) this. One of those rare web recipes where I didn’t have to alter anything — it was delicious exactly as written.
So… I just got referred to this blog and LOVE it. I have all of these ingredients and will be trying it. Question: Where do you get tomatoes for $.59 a can?!
It’s a new generic brand that my local grocery store is carrying… I wanted to use the fire roasted diced tomatoes of the same brand, but they were double the cost!
Would kale work as well as spinach? I have kidney stones and spinach is a no-no for me (I know, it sucks!!).
Yep, kale would probably work well. It might take a few more minutes for it to wilt down, but other than that it should be fine :)
Love your recipes! Don’t remember how I came across your site, but it’s wonderful, smart, and practical. Great idea! Every meal is so easy, cheap, and delicious! If I’m ever stumped on what to cook, I just see what you’re up to since your food obsessions are right in line with mine. Keep it up homegirl! You’ve earned your spot in my bookmarks bar!
Made this last night and it was sooo good! I used a mix of chevre and cream cheese, and fettuccine for the noodles, and added a handful of chopped sundried tomatoes. Really, really delicious and full of flavor! Awesome recipe, thanks!
Another winner! Thank you!!
Yum! This was dinner tonight and the whole family loved it. Great recipe, thank you!
Would feta sprinkled on top be any good do you think? I have some feta I need to use up!
Oh yes, that would be awesome!