Spaghetti with Creamy Spinach Sauce
7
Points®
Total time: 25 min • Prep: 10 min • Cook: 15 min • Serves: 4 • Difficulty: Easy
A quick creamy pasta dish ready in only 25 minutes? Yes, please! This simple pasta dish is an Italian-inspired comfort dish with a creamy spinach and ricotta sauce. Requiring only five ingredients that are not pantry staples make this even more of a winner for a speedy weeknight supper. Make extra sauce and use as an omelet filling or baked potato topping later in the week. The simple addition of some chopped fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red pepper strips add a pop of color and more veggie presence. Serve with a crunchy green salad to complete the meal. Peppery arugula is especially nice alongside the savory sauced pasta.
Ingredients
Table salt
⅛ tsp, for cooking pasta
Spinach
8 oz, baby leaves (about 8 cups)
Water
2 Tbsp
Uncooked whole wheat pasta
8 oz, spaghetti
Olive oil
2½ tsp, extra-virgin
Onion
1¼ cup(s), chopped, chopped
Jarred minced garlic
2½ tsp
Table salt
½ tsp
Black pepper
½ tsp, freshly ground
Fat free ricotta cheese
1¼ cup(s)
Instructions
1
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
2
Meanwhile, to make sauce, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add spinach and sprinkle with water. Cook, tossing, until spinach wilts down and becomes tender, about 3 minutes; remove cooked spinach from skillet. (If your skillet isn’t large enough, cook in 2 batches.) When spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess water; set aside.
3
Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions.
4
While pasta cooks, heat oil in same nonstick skillet. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper; cook over medium heat, stirring often, until onion is very tender and light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in spinach; toss until mixed.
5
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water. Transfer pasta to a serving bowl; add spinach mixture and ricotta. Toss, adding 1/4 cup (or more) of reserved pasta cooking water to make a creamy sauce. Serve hot.
6
Serving size: 1 3/4 cups
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