Creamy Spinach Pasta Dish

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine

02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp olive oil

04 - 3 cloves garlic, finely minced

05 - 7 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped

06 - 1 cup heavy cream

07 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

08 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

09 - ¼ tsp black pepper

10 - Salt, to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Extra grated Parmesan, to serve

12 - Freshly ground black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.

02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

03 - Add chopped spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2–3 minutes.

04 - Reduce heat to low. Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Let simmer gently for 2–3 minutes.

05 - Stir in grated Parmesan, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Allow sauce to thicken slightly over 2–3 minutes.

06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. If sauce is too thick, gradually add reserved pasta water until desired consistency is achieved.

07 - Plate immediately, garnishing with extra Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

# Expert Tips:

01 -

It comes together in thirty minutes, which means you can have something genuinely creamy and restaurant-worthy on a weeknight without the stress.
The nutmeg is the secret weapon that makes people ask what's in it, even though it's barely noticeable.
Spinach becomes silky instead of bitter, which converts even people who think they don't like it.

02 -

Never add the pasta directly to boiling cream or it'll seize and curdle; keep the heat low and stir gently once the cream is in.
That starchy pasta water isn't just backup, it's the magic that binds the sauce to the pasta instead of sliding off.

03 -