Creamy Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo (Printable version)

Velvety Alfredo sauce blends with fresh spinach and tender fettuccine for a rich, comforting dish.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz fettuccine

→ Alfredo Sauce

02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 2 oz cream cheese, cubed
07 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - Pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
09 - Salt, to taste

→ Spinach

10 - 5 oz fresh baby spinach, washed and dried

→ Garnish

11 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Chopped fresh parsley

# Steps to follow:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain the pasta.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant without browning.
03 - Lower the heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and cream cheese, whisking until the cream cheese melts and the mixture is smooth.
04 - Add grated Parmesan, black pepper, and nutmeg if using. Stir constantly until cheese melts and sauce thickens. Season with salt to taste.
05 - Add fresh spinach to the sauce and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until just wilted.
06 - Toss the cooked fettuccine into the sauce, adding reserved pasta water as necessary to loosen sauce and coat evenly.
07 - Serve immediately garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • Ready in 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinners suddenly feel fancy without the stress.
  • The spinach sneaks in so gracefully that even people who claim not to eat greens will finish their plate.
  • One skillet for the sauce keeps your cleanup mercifully short.
02 -
  • The second you stop whisking, the cheese can seize up and clump—keep it moving until everything is melted and smooth.
  • That reserved pasta water is your safety net; even a teaspoon loosens a too-thick sauce without breaking the emulsion.
03 -
  • Make the sauce first and keep it warm on low heat while your pasta cooks—you want everything hot when it meets so flavors marry properly.
  • If the sauce breaks or looks grainy, take it off heat, add a splash of cold cream, and whisk fast; panic makes people stir harder, which actually helps.
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