Marinara Cream Pasta
Silky pasta coated in a rich tomato-cream sauce with fresh spinach, served with crunchy garlic bread for a satisfying and easy Italian meal.
- Prep: 5 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Total: 25 min
- Servings: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: $1.52/serving
Dietary
- Vegetarian
- Nut-Free
- Soy-Free
- Egg-Free
- Pescatarian
Tags
- quick
- comfort food
- savory
- classic
- one-pot
Ingredients
- 8 ounce penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- 3 cup fresh spinach
- 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 4 slice garlic bread (store-bought)
Instructions
- Cook penne pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in diced tomatoes (undrained), heavy cream, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in fresh spinach until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked and drained penne pasta to the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
- Prepare garlic bread according to package directions. Serve Marinara Cream Pasta immediately, topped with optional grated Parmesan cheese, and with garlic bread on the side.
Notes
Add cooked shrimp or shredded chicken for a protein boost if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories: 480
- Protein: 15.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 58.7 g
- Fat: 20.3 g
- Fiber: 6.8 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Saturated Fat: 9.5 g
- Sugar: 7.2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg