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This creamy spinach pasta recipe is simple to make and has a delicious garlic white wine cream sauce. Perfect for busy weeknights!

Looking for more spinach recipes? Try my Sautéed Spinach with BaconCreamed Spinach, or Spinach Artichoke Pasta.

close-up of creamy spinach pasta in a beige bowl

Why you’ll love it

Spinach is everyone’s favorite veggie, and in this simple pasta recipe it’s dressed up in a beautiful creamy white wine sauce! I’m not kidding when I say that you’re going to lick the bowl. The sauce is that good.

Sometimes it’s nice to have a meatless meal, and this one will hit the spot. The creamy garlic sauce with white wine is fairly rich, so it’s hearty and filling. My favorite part? It can be on your table in about half an hour.

What you’ll need

  • Pasta – use whatever shape of pasta you have on hand or prefer. I used penne.
  • Butter and flour – to make a quick roux to thicken the sauce
  • Garlic – if y’all know me, you know I can’t resist lots of garlic in pasta recipes!
  • White wine – use one you’d actually drink. I prefer something dry like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
  • Heavy cream – the cream makes the sauce out of this world and sooo rich
  • Italian seasoning – my favorite blend for soups, sauces, and more. It has oregano, rosemary, and other fantastic herbs
  • Parmesan – who doesn’t love some a ton of freshly grated parm on pasta?
  • Spinach – fresh baby spinach adds brightness and earthy flavor!

Tools for this recipe

Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!

  • Grating your own parmesan cheese makes a HUGE difference to the flavor of a dish, and it also tends to melt better. I use my Microplane to quickly grate it.
  • In recipes that call for minced garlic, I simply crush the cloves in my garlic press to make it quick and easy!
  • I like using a pair of kitchen tongs to toss the spinach.
creamy spinach pasta photo collage

How to make creamy spinach pasta

This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

  • Cook the pasta, and when it’s about 10 minutes away from being done, add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it melts, add the flour in and cook for about 1 minute, stirring fairly often.
  • Add in the garlic, followed by the wine (or broth), and then whisk in the cream and Italian seasoning. Let the sauce thicken up, then stir in the parmesan and take the pan off the heat.
  • Add the spinach to the skillet, and stirring until it’s wilted, with a splash of the hot pasta water to make it easier. Toss with the drained pasta to the skillet and season with salt & pepper generously!

Substitutions and variations

  • You can add cooked chicken to this recipe. Just add it in towards the end to warm through, or you can try my Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta.
  • I recommend using fresh spinach. I have not tested it with frozen spinach. If you do use frozen spinach, be sure to thoroughly squeeze the water out, and you may need to reduce the sauce a bit more.
  • Sub the cream for something lower fat at your own discretion. Results may vary, and you may need to add more flour to thicken the sauce. It just won’t be as rich.

What to serve with this pasta

Leftovers and storage

  • Store leftovers in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days.
  • Reheat in a small saucepan over low, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Give it a splash of cream to revive the sauce if needed.
  • Creamy sauces don’t freeze well.
creamy spinach pasta in a skillet

Questions about this easy creamy spinach pasta? Let me know in the comments below!

close-up of creamy spinach pasta in a beige bowl
5 from 8 votes

Creamy Spinach Pasta

This creamy spinach pasta recipe is simple to make and has a delicious garlic white wine cream sauce. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 8 ounces uncooked pasta
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon flour
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken/veg broth
  • 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions. You will need to reserve some hot pasta water prior to draining it.
  • When the pasta is about 10 minutes away from being done, add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it melts, add the flour in and cook for about 1 minute, stirring fairly often.
  • Add in the garlic, followed by the wine (or broth). Let it bubble until it's reduced by half (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).
  • Whisk in the cream so the flour dissolves completely, then add in the Italian seasoning. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened up to your liking.
  • Stir in the parmesan cheese and take the pan off the burner.
  • Add the spinach to the skillet, and toss until it's wilted (use tongs or two spoons). I add in a few tablespoons of the hot pasta water prior to draining the pasta to make this process easier.
  • Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until coated. Season with salt & pepper as needed (I'm generous with both – there is a lot of spinach in here) and serve right away.

Notes

  • Serves 2-4 depending on how hungry people are/what else you serve it with.
  • I would not substitute the cream for a lower fat alternative. It may not thicken the same, so you may need to adjust cooking time or add more flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 546kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 108mg, Sodium: 286mg, Potassium: 341mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 3272IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 224mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

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16 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this for my husband and he loved it ! I didn’t have the heavy cream, so I used canned milk. It worked out fine.

    1. It’s our pleasure! So happy you enjoyed it, and thanks for taking the time to write a review. 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    Super tasty! I was worried about using pre-shredded parmesan (broke college kid lol) so I added a little cream cheese to thicken the sauce. Turned out great!

  3. 5 stars
    Delicious and simple! Easy ingredients that create an amazing pasta. Great way to use extra spinach with tons of flavor.

  4. 5 stars
    I made this a couple nights ago. It’s a good meatless dish. I wish I had seen the recipe during Lent. I used linguine and it turned out well. I will put this in my recipe rotation. Thanks for the recipe.

  5. 5 stars
    I tried your recipe today and it was incredible!! So creamy and delicious!! 💖 10/10 would recommend. Thank you so much!