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The finished pasta is garnished with basil and more Parmigiano-Reggiano

Creamy Spinach Pasta Sauce

This creamy spinach pasta sauce is a wonderful way to get your greens. It's loaded with basil, parsley, and a few other simple ingredients. The trick? Blanching the spinach before cooking makes for the greenest basil spinach sauce ever.
4.23 from 49 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Calories: 693kcal

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Small pot
  • Sieve or colander
  • Food processor or blender

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces spinach, rinsed thoroughly
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil, plus a few leaves for garnish
  • ½ cup loosely packed fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup shelled pistachios, unsalted
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • ½ cup marscarpone or ricotta cheese
  • ¾ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
  • 12 ounces tagliatelle
  • 1 cup pasta cooking water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Blanch the spinach:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the spinach and boil it for 30 seconds. Transfer to an ice bath and set aside.

Sauté the onions and garlic:

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–12 minutes until very soft.
  • Add the roughly chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt and turn off the heat. Set aside.

Cook the pasta:

  • To the pot of boiling, salted water, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside.

Prepare the sauce:

  • Drain the spinach and squeeze out as much of the excess water as possible.
  • Place the basil, parsley, pistachios, spinach, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Pulse until finely minced. Add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and pulse again until incorporated.
  • Add the mascarpone, cooked onions and garlic, and ½ cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano to the food processor along with a big pinch of salt. Pulse until smooth. Add half of the pasta water and continue blending until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.

Sauce the pasta:

  • Add the cooked pasta to the bowl of sauce. Toss to coat, adding more pasta cooking water as needed until the pasta is completely coated.

To serve:

  • Divide the pasta between shallow bowls. Garnish with the remaining grated parm and a few basil leaves. Finish each bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

Note: You can leave the water boiling, add salt, and reuse it for the pasta. However, if you notice any grit in the water, I recommend dumping it, filling the pot back up with fresh water, and bringing it to a boil for the pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 693kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 36g | Sodium: 368mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 37mg
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