This Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta is a quick and easy recipe that makes for the perfect weeknight dinner! Tender penne pasta coated in a creamy tomato sauce with fresh spinach, this easy pasta recipe is full of delicious flavor.
Looking for more pasta recipes for dinner? Try my Creamy Garlic Pasta or Cheesy Taco Spaghetti next!
About This Recipe
If you're looking for a restaurant-style pasta dish for dinner, then your search ends here! This creamy tomato and spinach pasta is easy to make with simple, everyday ingredients, and you can have it on the table in just 30 minutes.
Pink (or rosé) style pasta sauces are my favorite type of pasta sauce. They have the perfect balance of creaminess and acidic tomato flavors. I can never decide if I want a full-on creamy pasta or something more tomatoey, so I always get pink if it's available. If it's not, I'll sometimes convince my wife to order the opposite of me so we can share and get the best of both worlds.
This pasta sauce is actually super similar to Marry Me Chicken if you've ever tried that. It's creamy and a little tomatoey. It's made with a base of cream, chicken broth, tomato paste, and sundried tomatoes. It also has a healthy amount of spinach, which makes it quite nutritious and also adds freshness.
Key Ingredients
Pasta: I love penne for this recipe because the sauce clings to it well, and I find it more enjoyable than longer pasta types because you can easily get a piece of pasta, spinach, and sundried tomato in one bite.
Butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt levels better.
Garlic: Freshly minced is the best, but pre-minced is fine as well.
Flour: A tiny bit to help thicken the sauce.
Heavy cream: This makes the pasta sauce smooth and creamy. For a lighter option, you can also use half and half.
Chicken broth: Use your favorite chicken broth! I mixed Better Than Bouillon with water.
Tomato paste: This adds a concentrated tomato flavor to the sauce. This recipe only uses 2 tablespoons, so you'll most likely have leftovers. You can scoop the rest into an ice cube tray, freeze it, and save it for later.
Sun-dried tomatoes: When I was testing this recipe, I initially used canned diced tomatoes, but I found the sauce was lacking depth. Sundried tomatoes add concentrated pops of acidity, which make the pasta more exciting.
Spinach: I used fresh spinach, but you can use frozen as well. Just make sure to thaw it fully and give it a good squeeze over the sink to get rid of excess moisture.
Parmesan cheese: Adds a bit of saltiness without adding salt!
Salt and pepper: Add to your own taste. I actually didn't add any salt, but it really depends on how salty your chicken broth is.
Instructions
STEP 1: Cook the pasta to al dente following the package directions. Drain and reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water.
STEP 2: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic for 1 minute until it smells delicious. Add the flour and stir until mixed throughout.
STEP 3: Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, tomato paste, and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
STEP 4: Stir in the spinach and cook until the spinach has shrunk and wilted. If the sauce is still a bit runny, cook it for a few minutes longer.
STEP 5: Add the cooked pasta and parmesan and mix until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the sauce is dry or sticky, add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta (or similar pasta)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 8 ounces baby spinach
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente following the package directions. Drain and reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic for 1 minute until it smells delicious. Add the flour and stir until mixed throughout.
- Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, tomato paste, and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in the spinach and cook until the spinach has shrunk and wilted. If the sauce is still a bit runny, cook it for a few minutes longer.
- Add the cooked pasta and parmesan and mix until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the sauce is dry or sticky, add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
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