Creamy Spinach Linguine Pasta
Creamy Spinach Linguine Pasta
A Vibrant and Nutritious Spinach Cream Pasta Recipe
Today, I’m sharing a special pasta recipe featuring the wonderfully nutritious spinach! Spinach is packed with Vitamin C, calcium, and iron, making it incredibly good for our bodies. Instead of the usual spinach salad, why not try this creamy, savory spinach cream pasta for a healthy and delicious meal?
Essential Ingredients- 200g Linguine pasta
- 200g Fresh spinach
- 10 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 Onion
- 3 strips Thick-cut bacon
- 200ml Milk
- 200ml Heavy cream
- Grana Padano cheese (to taste)
- 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 Tbsp Sea salt
- 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Ladle of pasta cooking water (pasta water)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, trim any yellowed or wilted leaves and the tough roots from the fresh spinach. Then, rinse the spinach thoroughly under cold running water several times to ensure all dirt and grit are removed.
Step 2
Fill a pot with plenty of water and add 2/3 Tbsp of salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the cleaned spinach and blanch for just 30 seconds. Blanching for this short time helps retain the spinach’s crisp texture and vibrant green color.
Step 3
Immediately transfer the blanched spinach to a bowl of cold water to cool it down. Rinsing in cold water will make the spinach color even more vivid and prevent overcooking.
Step 4
Using both hands, firmly squeeze out as much water as possible from the spinach. Properly draining the spinach is crucial for achieving the right sauce consistency.
Step 5
Pour 200ml of milk into a blender or food processor. Add the well-drained spinach.
Step 6
Blend until smooth. Aim for a silky smooth consistency with no visible spinach chunks for a more luxurious cream sauce.
Step 7
In another pot, bring a generous amount of water to a rolling boil with 1/3 Tbsp of salt. Add the 200g of linguine pasta and cook for about 9 minutes, which is about 1 minute less than the package instructions. Reserve about 1 ladle of the pasta water before draining. (This will be added to the sauce later.)
Step 8
Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and sauté gently until it turns a light golden brown and becomes fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as this will affect the flavor.
Step 9
Once the garlic is fragrant, add the diced onion and bacon to the pan. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent and the bacon is nicely browned. This step helps meld the flavors of the ingredients.
Step 10
Pour the prepared spinach base and 200ml of heavy cream into the pan with the sautéed ingredients. Stir well to combine. Let it simmer gently over medium heat to thicken the sauce.
Step 11
Once the sauce begins to bubble, add the linguine pasta, which has been cooked for 9 minutes, directly from the colander into the pan.
Step 12
Add the reserved ladle of pasta water to the pasta. Stir continuously over medium heat for about 3 minutes, allowing the sauce and pasta to emulsify and become creamy. The pasta water helps to bind the sauce and pasta together beautifully.
Step 13
Finally, generously grate Grana Padano cheese over the pasta and finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper. Your delicious spinach cream pasta is ready to be enjoyed hot!
