Creamy Feta Spinach Pasta (Printable version)

Luscious pasta with crumbled feta and tender spinach in a velvety, tangy sauce. Ready in 25 minutes.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or spaghetti)

→ Dairy

02 - 7 oz feta cheese, crumbled

→ Vegetables

03 - 5 oz baby spinach, washed
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Pantry

05 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
06 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
07 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
08 - Salt to taste

→ Garnish

09 - Zest of 1 lemon
10 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped

# Steps to follow:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add baby spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Transfer the hot drained pasta to the skillet with the spinach mixture. Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese evenly throughout.
05 - Pour 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water into the skillet. Toss all ingredients vigorously until the feta softens and emulsifies into a creamy sauce. Add additional pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency.
06 - Season the pasta with black pepper, chili flakes if desired, and salt. Adjust seasonings to preference.
07 - Transfer to serving dishes immediately. Garnish with lemon zest and fresh herbs before serving.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in seconds without any actual cream or heavy ingredients
  • You probably have everything in your pantry right now
  • It tastes like something from a restaurant but costs about five dollars total
02 -
  • The pasta water is literally the most important ingredient, so do not forget to save it or you'll end up with dry, clumpy feta everywhere
  • Add the pasta water while everything is still hot, or the feta won't melt properly into that creamy sauce consistency
  • You need to toss vigorously, like actually put some muscle into it, to emulsify the cheese and water together
03 -
  • Save extra pasta water just in case you need more to get that sauce consistency exactly right
  • Room temperature feta melts more evenly than cold feta straight from the fridge
  • Don't skip the vigorous tossing step, that's what makes the sauce actually creamy instead of just cheesy
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