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!
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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
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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.
I made this dish and it was FABULOUS! It even freezes well. My son likes a lot of spice/ hear so I increased the amount of chili flakes. I also added in chopped mozzarella cheese in the end the covered the dish to melt in the cheese. I will make this over & over again. It is out of this world DELICIOUS!
I used rotel instead of tomatoes and sour cream instead of cream cheese & it was DELICIOUS! 10/10
So I made this and I feel like it lacked flavor. I tried to save it and I added ricotta cheese in the leftovers I had; but to no avail. Tomorrow I’m going to pan sear some parmesan crusted chicken and mix together some fettuccine and spaghetti sauce to make an easy pink sauce. Hopefully I can save it and not have to waste all that pasta.
I made this for my family who loves pasta. I never make sauce from scratch and everyone LOVED this! It was simple, quick and smelled so fresh and yummy. Also, someone said they loved it bc it wasn’t too acidic like a lot of sauces. Definitely recommend.
Made this for dinner. It was delicious. We all enjoyed it. Will definitely make it again. Thank you!
I’m not a novice cook. I trialed this recipe and it is nearly flavorless. This is going to be a one and done recipe.
I was looking for a quick recipe to use up some spinach so I made this for me and my dad. we were both so surprised at how delicious and amazing it is! soooo tasty. I’ve never used cream cheese in a creamy tomato sauce before but it WORKS!
Literally the best pasta I’ve ever made!
Instead of 1/2c of water, I used 1/4c water and 1/4c milk! So delicious, definitely will make this again.
This was delicious!
Excellent! I made this exactly as written and I wouldn’t change a thing. I panicked a bit after adding the spinach because it looked like way too much but it cooked down to just the right amount. It reheated well in the microwave for my lunch. I will definitely make this again.
Love the pictures above. Thanks for sharing
This was absolutely ridiculous!!! I added chicken seasoned with an unknown amount of olive oil, Italian seasoning, oregano and basil which was cooked at 350 for approximately 25 minutes and it was fantastic!! Thanks so much!
I had this recipe for a while now and decided to give it a try .All I can’t tell you it was delicious . I add some sausage and some mushrooms this recipe is definitely a keeper . Thank you
Made this for dinner last night after searching for a recipe that would include spinach, which I had a lot of. It was filling, tasty, and colorful. The aroma of the sauce filled my kitchen in a good way, and I loved the bites of chunky tomato, and the diced onions that filled each forkful along with the other ingredients. I will definitely make this again.
Super easy and I added Italian sausage too!! It was delish!