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.
This cooked up quickly, but was lacking in flavor. I think 4 servings is a stretch, maybe 3 at the most for a main dish. Next time I will save some pasta water to help add body to the sauce.
Simple, tasty recipe! This is a genius way to use up leftover cream cheese (which I often have in my fridge, and it often goes bad). I also tossed in some mushrooms and zucchini. This is going to become a regular in our dinner rotation!
Hi! Could I use another short cut pasta like paccheri instead of penne?
Yep! That should work fine.
Looks delicious.
Cream cheese where I live is soft so uncuttable. How many tsp should I use?
Can I use frozen spinach? 🫠
Good recipe but too light for me, I would add 1/2 pound of ground beef to make it more filling, and maybe some peppers to make it less bland. I substituted Oregano with Ground Cumin and used 8 oz drained canned spinach instead of 4 oz fresh.
I substituted cream cheese with marscapone, a splash of heavy cream. Aleppo red pepper. Cherry tomatoes and basil from my garden. We loved it!
This recipe was okay. I made it exactly as written. It’s not a recipe I will make a 2nd time.
Really enjoyed this pasta and I’ll be making it again, but for me it was missing something. The flavour was a bit bland, it needed a kick of some sort but I can’t think what. (Also, the calories for me came out at 400 instead of 300, but I’m in the UK so that could just be down to ingredients being a little different.)
Made this last night. Added pan fried sweet italian sausage and pureed the diced tomatoes (kids!). Everything else to recipe.
No complaints and no leftovers.
Thats as high a compliment as you can get.
I found this recipe when it was first posted in 2013; soooo I guess I have been making it for 10 years now lol.
My wife is lactose intolerant, so I use lactose-free (full fat) cream instead of the cream cheese. It still gives the same effect I find, making it rich and creamy and delicious! I still use the shredded parmesan, because she is able to handle that, but definitely if you have loved ones you are cooking for who are especially sensitive to dairy products, adjust the dairy levels to fit your family’s needs!
Has anyone tried making this and then freezing it? I will be making this for about 17 people and was wondering how it is, if I make it before hand and freeze it
I have a family member who despises tomatoes. Can I leave them out and just add the juice from the diced tomatoes?
Yes, though the viscosity of the sauce will be affected. xoxo
Thank you. Any suggestions on a substitute so that doesn’t happen?
You could try using roasted red peppers instead?
Thank you Melissa. I did make it without tomatoes and it was still amazingly good.
I’m dairy free. Do you think I should try vegan cream cheese or maybe hummus instead of regular cream cheese?
I would say vegan or dairy-free cream cheese will most likely be the best substitute. However, you can also try using some full-fat coconut milk/cream or pureed silken tofu. For the Parmesan, you could swap it for a pinch of Nutritional Yeast (but use a little less, because a little goes a long way!) ~ Marion :)
Easy and delicious!! Loved it! Made it exactly as written.
I made it exactly as instructed. Very easy to make and testy. Thank you!