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This Boursin cheese pasta recipe is a deliciously creamy meatless meal that only requires three ingredients and 20 minutes to make! It’s a satisfying weeknight dinner you’ll make again and again.
After you’ve tried this one, you’ll want to make my stovetop Boursin Orzo with Chicken or this Creamy Boursin Gnocchi next. If you’re craving pork, make my Boursin Pork Chops!
Why you’ll love it
This easy Boursin pasta with spinach is a lifesaver when you’re craving quick comfort food after work. I know a lot of people love Boursin cheese. It was a mainstay in my house while I was growing up, so I thought why not come up with a simple pasta recipe that incorporates it? My sister is actually the one who suggested the idea to me, and I’m glad she did.
The gears in my brain started turning, and I realized I could use the same technique as my Spinach Goat Cheese Pasta. Really, it’s a technique as old as time. You make a sauce by combining hot starchy pasta water and cheese, and magic happens. This meal is great when you want something hot and creamy but don’t really feel like cooking. It’s made all in one pot, so the dishes won’t be bad either!
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I used penne because it’s a great shape for creamy sauces.
- Boursin cheese – if you’re unfamiliar with Boursin, it’s a very mild-tasting French cream cheese that’s also known as Gournay and can be found in most major grocery stores. It melts very easily and tastes creamy, buttery, salty, and is fairly light. I used their Garlic and Fine Herbs variety.
- Spinach – to add a pop of freshness and balance
Pro tip
- There isn’t much skill required in making this recipe other than making sure you don’t add too much of the hot pasta water at once. Add it in sloooowly so that the pasta doesn’t end up too watery.
How to make Boursin pasta
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cook the pasta al dente. Drain it, reserving some of the pasta water.
- Place the pasta back in the pot it was cooked in, and take it off the stove. Add in the Boursin cheese, some of the pasta water, and toss.
- When the sauce consistency you like is achieved, add the spinach and toss. Cover and let it wilt. Enjoy!
Substitutions and variations
- Try playing around with different varieties of Boursin. I am thinking the Shallot and Chives or Cracked Pepper ones would work equally well!
- Don’t like spinach? Leave it out and make this a two-ingredient meal. 😉
- This recipe can definitely be used as a base for further additions. Some possibilities include sun-dried or cherry/grape tomatoes, broccoli, peas, leftover Roast Chicken, shrimp, sausage, crumbled Oven Cooked Bacon, olives, garden herbs like basil or chives, or some freshly grated parmesan cheese. The possibilities are endless.
- Feel free to swap the penne with a different shape of pasta. Something a similar size like rigatoni would work great.
What to serve with this pasta
- It’s filling as a vegetarian meal in itself, but you can’t go wrong pairing it with a slice of Garlic Bread, breadsticks, or a dinner roll.
- Try serving it with a light side salad to complement it. I like mixed greens and some veggies with my Olive Garden Salad Dressing.
- This pasta would work great as a side dish for my Parmesan Crusted Chicken or Easy Pan Seared Pork Chops Recipe.
Leftovers and storage
- Boursin pasta will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days, but it’s one of those dishes that’s best eaten fresh.
- Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat slowly for best results. Add a splash of chicken broth if the sauce needs reviving.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers of this pasta.
Will you give this creamy Boursin pasta a try? Made it? Let me know in the comments below or tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram. If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d love if you shared it with a friend!
Ridiculously Easy Boursin Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked penne
- 1 (5.2 ounce/150g) package Boursin Fine Herbs & Garlic cheese
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Important: reserve about a cup of the pasta water before you drain it (I just use a Pyrex measuring cup).
- Drain the pasta, then add it right back into the pot it was cooked in (take it off the burner). Add the Boursin cheese and a small splash (a few tablespoons or so) of the pasta water. Toss (I use two spoons) until you've got the sauce the consistency that you want, gradually adding in more of the pasta water as needed. You likely won't need to use most of it.
- Add in the spinach and continue tossing the pasta until everything is nicely coated in sauce. Cover the pot and let it wilt for a minute or two, then serve. Add some salt & pepper if needed.
Notes
- Serves 2-4 depending on how much people eat/what else it’s served with.
- This pasta is great as a side dish.
- The residual heat from the hot pot, steaming pasta, and the pasta water will melt the cheese and make a deliciously creamy sauce.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made a tiny change , added
Leek and a sliced red pepper that
I sautéed , garlic powder n a bit of Italian
Seasoning . It really needed more of the cheese . Was good n enjoyed it but next time will add more of the cheese . 😋
Great easy recipe. Added crushed red pepper too. 😋 But needed more liquid. Either more pasta water or cream. Thanks
Glad you liked it, Alison!
This is our new favorite go-to meal, so I keep Boursin in the fridge at all times. We’ve used steamed broccoli vs spinach and use orchiette pasta when we don’t have penne. We generally have some leftovers since it’s just two of us, so we’ve added roasted chicken and/or grape tomatoes for night two. Thank you for the deliciousness!
That’s awesome!! Thanks for coming back to write me a review, Nitia! 😀
So easy! Such a gourmet meal with these boursin packs. I used two and made a big batch of pasta for the next few days. I also included sauteed sliced zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic. Tasted similarly to Alfredo, but lighter!
Love that!! 😀 Thank you!
Super simple dish for last minute guests. Served it with brown bread delicious!
Thank you!!
The recipe is certainly quick and easy. But for me, Boursin just doesn’t have the mojo to be a stand-alone ingredient. I halved the recipe and even put in more Boursin than called for when the sauce came up lacking. Yet it still needed something more, so I added salt and grated Parmesan to tweak more flavor out of it. I was expecting to really like this (I’d never tasted Boursin before) but as it is, I much prefer my neufchâtel (much cheaper), butter and Parmesan recipe for an Alfredo-style sauce.