Beginner-friendly and fast to prepare, this spinach and cream cheese pasta sauce couldn't be easier. You do need a mini blender, but that's it. Think of it as a fresher, lighter alternative to pesto, perfect with spirali and a glass of white wine.
Step 1
Wilt your spinach in a bowl of boiling water (or simmer on the hob). Then pop two tablespoons of hot water into a mini blender, along with your garlic and just a pinch of salt, and blend.
Step 2
Drain your spinach in a colander, fire some cold water through it so you don't burn yourself, then squeeze all the water out by hand. At this point, the spinach should be reduced to a small handful.
Step 3
Add the spinach to the blender, and blend until the garlic has broken up and dispersed. Then add your cream cheese and pepper, and blend again. If you feel the mix is a little dry, add in a splash of hot water. This shouldn't be necessary, however. The sauce will loosen up when you add it to your freshly cooked pasta either way.
Step 4
Taste the sauce. If it needs a little something, blend through a tablespoon of parmigiano, grana or pecorino. I like to add my hard cheese later though, just before serving.
And that's it! It really is that simple. Add this five minute spinach and cream cheese pasta sauce to your favourite pasta shape, or use it as a dip with tortilla chips, and enjoy!
- This dish tends to be a different shade of green every time I make it, because I'm not big on measurements! If you have double or even half the amount of spinach, fear not. The sauce will still work.
- I've always wondered if lemon juice would work in this recipe. If you like, you can add some in with the garlic as it tends to soften the raw garlic flavour. This might be especially useful if using your spinach and cream cheese pasta sauce as a dip.
