Creamy Spinach and Kale Pasta with Parmesan is quick, satisfying comfort food with rich flavor and texture. This meal feels indulgent, but still has a load of greens for a healthy-ish twist.
This protein-rich pasta dish has a silky and garlicky Parmesan sauce that adds luscious flavor. Seared crimini mushrooms bring an earthy umami, and creamy leeks have a sweet and caramelized onion flavor.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This quick weeknight recipe is ready in 40 minutes.
- This is a delicious way to add leafy greens to your diet.
- The sauce is creamy and flavorful without being too heavy.
- This recipe is very customizable. Add your favorite protein, such as chicken, shrimp, or prosciutto.
Ingredient List
- Fresh Vegetables - crimini mushrooms, leeks, baby kale, baby spinach, and garlic
- Sauce - unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, heavy cream, and grated Parmesan cheese
- Seasoning - kosher salt, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice
- Garnish - pine nuts or walnuts
- Pasta - ridged rigatoni or other short pasta
What Pasta Shape Should I Use?
Short, tubular, and ridged pasta shapes are best for this recipe. They trap the sauce on the outside of the pasta and in the center. Suggestions are rigatoni, penne, or fusilli.
How to Make Creamy Spinach and Kale Pasta
Have a large pot of water on the stove at a slow boil while you prepare the rest of the recipe. It is better if the water is waiting for you rather than you waiting for the water.
Prepare the Vegetables
- Remove the green stalks of the leeks. They are too fibrous to eat. Slice the white and light green part of the leek in half lengthwise. Rinse them very well under cool running water. Leeks tend to have a lot of dirt and grit between the layers.
- Cut the leeks into ½ inch slices.
- Rinse the crimini mushrooms and remove any growing medium or dirt. Cut the mushrooms into ½ inch slices.
- Rough chop the garlic. You will need 2 tablespoons.
- Using a small saute pan, toast the pine nuts on the stove top. Shake the pan as the nuts turn golden brown. When you take the pan off the heat, remove the nuts. If left in the pan, they will continue to toast and will get too dark.
Create the Pasta Sauce
- Heat the large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Once the fats are hot, add the mushrooms to the pan. Sear them for 2-3 minutes without turning. When the mushrooms have turned brown, occasionally stir them. The mushrooms will start to release water.
- After 5-7 minutes, add the leek slices and the chopped garlic to the pan. Season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir to combine. To gently cook the leeks, reduce the heat to medium.
- After the leeks have cooked for 5 minutes, add kale leaves in 1 or 2 handfuls, letting it wilt before adding more. When the kale has all wilted, add handfuls of spinach. Continue adding handfuls until all of the greens are in the saute pan. There should be just a little water in the bottom of the pan. This will take less than 5 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream to the pan, stirring to combine with the vegetables. Do not let the cream come to a boil. It should only be at a gentle simmer.
- Add the parmesan ¼ cup at a time. Wait for the cheese to melt over medium heat before adding more. If the cream is too hot, the Parmesan cheese will separate and become clumpy when added.
- Adjust the seasoning to your preference. Add the crushed red pepper to the saucy vegetables.
Assemble Pasta
- When you start adding the leeks and greens to the pan, add the pasta to the waiting pot of boiling salted water. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the recommended package directions. The pasta will continue to cook when added to the sauce.
- Save 1 cup of pasta water. This will come in handy when combining all the ingredients in the pan.
- Add the par-cooked pasta to the saucy vegetables and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese into the sauce, ¼ cup at a time. Make sure to incorporate the cheese into the greens before adding more. This is to eliminate any clumping. Stir to combine.
- Add some of the reserved pasta water to the large saute pan, ½ cup at a time. The pasta sauce should be of a good consistency to coat everything without being runny.
- Cook for an additional minute until the pasta is al dente.
- When serving, add a squeeze of lemon juice over the pasta.
- Serve with some crusty bread. Toast the slices of crusty bread. Rub a garlic clove across the toasted surface of the warm bread. Delicious with the creamy pasta.
Common Mistakes
Here are a few common mistakes to avoid while preparing the recipe.
Overcooking the Spinach - The spinach should be added to the pan and cooked for only 2-3 minutes. Since it is so tender, it will easily wilt. If the overcooked, the spinach will become mushy and dull.
Adding the Cheese at High Heat - Adding Parmesan cheese to boiling cream will cause the sauce to break. The cheese will separate due to the proteins clumping.
Too Much Cream Added to the Sauce - Too much cream will create a runny sauce. Add pasta water, which is starchy and salted. This is a great way to emulsify the sauce.
Weeknight Deliciousness
If you need to sneak a few healthy leafy greens in your diet, Creamy Spinach and Kale Pasta with Parmesan is the way to go. Full of rich gralicky flavor, this is the perfect recipe. You will have dinner ready in 40 minutes.
The silky and creamy parmesan sauce clings to the pasta and veggies, delivering delicious, indulgent flavor. Let me know how you made it your own-because the best pasta nights are the ones you tweak just a little
Recipe
Creamy Spinach and Kale Pasta with Parmesan
Servings: 6
Calories: 634kcal
A fast weeknight meal. Creamy Spinach and Kale Pasta with Parmesan is delicious comfort food full of rich, garlicky flavor.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
- 1 small saute pan
- 1 wooden spoon or spatula
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 colander
Ingredients
- 5 ounces baby spinach (142 grams, approximately 5 cups)
- 5 ounces baby kale (142 grams, approximately 5 cups)
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms (227 grams, generous 2 cups, sliced)
- 7 ounces leeks (198 grams, 2 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic (2 tablespoons, rough chop)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3.5 ounces shredded Parmesan (99 grams/1 cup)
- 1.4 ounces pine nuts (40 grams/ ¼ cup)
- ½ lemon
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 pound short pasta such as rigatoni
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients
- Have a pot of water heating while you prepare the ingredients. Keep the water at a slow boil. You want the water waiting for you, not you waiting for the water.
- Remove the green bottoms of the leeks. You will only use the white and light green parts of the stalk. Rinse the leeks well in cool water to remove any dirt or grit.
- Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and then into ¼ inch slices.
- Rinse the mushrooms to remove any of the growing medium or dirt.
- Cut the mushrooms into ¼ inch slices.
- Rough chop the garlic. You will need 2 tablespoons.
- Toast the pine nuts in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan, until browned. When you take the pan off the heat, remove the nuts. If left in the pan, they will continue to toast and will get too dark.
Prepare Pasta Sauce
- Heat the large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Once the fats are melted and hot, add the mushrooms to the pan. Let them sear for 2-3 minutes, without turning.
- When the mushrooms have browned, occasionally stir them. They will start to release water.
- After 5-7 minutes, add the leek slices and the chopped garlic to the pan. Season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium.
- After the leeks have cooked for 5 minutes, add kale leaves in 1 or 2 handfuls, letting it wilt before adding more. When the kale has all wilted, add handfuls of spinach. Continue adding handfuls until all of the greens are in the saute pan. There should be just a little water in the bottom of the pan. This will take less than 5 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Do not let the cream come to a boil. It should only be at a gentle simmer. If the cream is too hot, the Parmesan will separate and become stringy.
- Add the parmesan ¼ cup at a time. Wait for the cheese to melt before adding more.
- Adjust the seasoning to your preference. Add the crushed red pepper to the sauteed vegetables.
Assemble Pasta
- When you start adding the leeks and greens to the pan, add the pasta to the waiting pot of boiling water.
- Cook the pasta a minute less than the package directions.
- Save one cup of pasta water. Add the par-cooked pasta to the pan of vegetables and sauce. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese into the sauce, ¼ cup at a time. Make sure to incorporate the cheese into the greens before adding more. This is to eliminate any clumping. Stir to combine.
- Add some of the reserved pasta water to the large saute pan, ½ cup at a time. The pasta sauce should be of a good consistency to coat everything without being runny.
- Cook for an additional minute until the pasta is al dente.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice to add a bit of acid and to brighten the dish.
- Serve with some crusty bread. Toast the slices of crusty bread. Rub a garlic clove across the toasted surface of the bread. Delicious with the creamy pasta.
Notes
Common Mistakes
Here are a few common mistakes to avoid while preparing the recipe. Overcooking the Spinach - The spinach should be added to the pan and cooked for only 2-3 minutes. Since it is so tender, it will easily wilt. If the overcooked, the spinach will become mushy and dull. Adding the Cheese at High Heat - Adding Parmesan cheese to boiling cream will cause the sauce to break. The cheese will separate due to the proteins clumping. Too Much Cream Added to the Sauce - Too much cream will create a runny sauce. Add pasta water, which is starchy and salted. This is a great way to emulsify the sauce.Nutrition
Calories: 634kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 538mg | Potassium: 731mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5891IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 300mg | Iron: 3mg
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Julie says
Delicious combination of healthy greens. Quick weeknight pasta.