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.
Can you use frozen spinach instead of fresh? I’m planning on making this tonight but only have frozen on hand…
Thank you very much for this simple, & so delicious pasta. My husband loved it!; ; just wanted to make a quick dish for lunch… saw this recipe, had all the ingredients … well, after cooking it, not just the dish looked beautiful, but this dish tasted superb! My hubby’s comment:” The best pasta since Tuscany! “.❤️
Can you freeze this?
Creamy sauces don’t usually fare so well after freezing and thawing.
Thank you !!! This recipe was amazing!! My whole family loved it:) We will definitely make it again!!
I made this last night, and it was so delicious! I’ll definitely will be making this again in the future.
The story of your can opener is a good reason I buy tomato paste in a tube. No waste.! Many recipes call for only spoonfuls and I’ve wasted so many half cans of tomato paste I feel bad about it.
You can freeze it in ice cube trays 👌🏼
Could we have the nutrition information and serving size?
I have been plotting on making this dish for a couple days now. I almost made it last night, with all intentions on adding chicken breast! Instead I made something else, and currently have my penne boiling to make this dish. Following the recipe but on a larger scale, and definitely adding portabella mushrooms in the mix! Will be having this a nice juicy steak, so I’m extra excited for this meal. Never tried it, so thanks for your recipe! Oh by the way, Happy Valentine’s Day!
I am making this today also your cheese bread recipe so easy and tastes like takeout. This is my pantry meal so I am using what I have. I added jalep. peppers, roasted red and orange peppers from earlier this week and used some italian pasta I snagged at dollar tree last month. I am thinking this would make a great mexican pasta dish if you take out the basil and add a chiptole pepper in adobo sauce maybe some smoked paprika, chili powder and cumin if you wish.
I have tried this recipe twice now and both times were awesome! The first time I followed the recipe to the letter and the second time I subbed mushrooms and zucchini for the spinach. So good and super easy!
What in the world does a 27oz bag of spinach look like?! The only size option here is 5oz, and i can’t imagine using 5+ of them. Halp.
Sorry, the information did not get transferred correctly to our new recipe cards. I just fixed it. It should be 1/2 of a 9oz. bag. So, your 5 oz. bag will work just fine.
My 10 year old and I made this meal this evening and we absolutely loved it! Plus I love any meal that’s quick and easy. Win win! 😊
Uhhh… Yum! So, so good. Used whole wheat spaghettini and it was delish!
This is seriously one of the most underrated recipes on this blog. My husband and I have been making this dish since 2013… About to make it again tonight. Try it. Love it.
Tried it last night – really great!!!!
Thank you