Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta Recipe

19/07/2021 Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta - with VIDEO - Budget Bytes
CREAMY TOMATO AND

SPI NACH PASTA
$3.72 RECIPE / $0.93 SERVING
BUDGET BYTES » RECIPES » PASTA RECIPES » CREAMY TOMATO AND SPINACH PASTA
JUMP TO RECIPE  GROCERY LIST  FAVORITES
Easy wins again! I’m on day 6 of an 8 day work week, so that means two things: I’m tired and
I’m hungry. Quick skillet pasta dishes like this Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta are perfect
for such an occasion. They require only a few ingredients, cook up super fast, and leave me
feeling full and happy! :)
Anyway, tomorrow is Monday (again) and the week will be long, so I hope this recipe helps
make dinner time a little faster, easier, and more enjoyable for you this week! Enjoy!
Originally posted 7-28-2013, updated 5-21-2020.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-tomato-spinach-pasta/ 1/26
WHAT TO SERVE WI TH C R EAM Y TO MATO AND

SPINACH PASTA
This Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta recipe is kind of a meal on its own, but you may

want to add a side dish, like crusty Garlic Bread, No Knead Focaccia Rolls, or a light Simple
Side Salad. You can also beef up the recipe by adding some Garlic Herb Baked Chicken
Breasts, or browning some Italian sausage in the skillet in the beginning, before the onion
and garlic.
CAN I SUBSTITUTE THE C R EAM C HEESE?
This version of Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta uses just a touch of cream cheese and
Parmesan to make a regular tomato sauce ultra-rich and creamy. If you’re not into cream
cheese, you could also add a splash (1/4 cup or so) of half and half or heavy cream to
achieve a similar effect.
CAN I USE A DIFFER ENT PASTA?
I used regular pasta, but whole wheat would actually be pretty good in this and would add
some extra fiber and nutrients to make it a more well rounded meal. You can also switch out
the shape for another short pasta, like bowtie pasta or rotini.
CAN I USE FROZEN S PI NAC H?
I was lucky enough to get spinach on sale for $0.99 per bag (score!), but if fresh spinach is
just out of your price range, you can add about 8oz. frozen spinach that has been thawed
and squeezed of its excess moisture. This would also be really good with sliced mushrooms.
Just cook the mushrooms along with the onions and garlic in the beginning. Or, hey, you
could always do a plain creamy tomato sauce. Nothin’ wrong with that!
CREAMY TOMATO AND

SPINACH PASTA
Easier than a box meal, this creamy tomato and spinach
pasta is also more flavorful and delicious. 100% real
ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknights!
TOTAL COST: $3.28 recipe / $0.82 serving
PREP TIME: 5 mins
COOK TIME: 20 mins
PRINT RECIPE 
TOTAL TIME: 25 mins
GROCERY LIST 
SERVINGS: 4
FAVORITES
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb. penne pasta ($0.75) 4.86 from 360 votes
1 yellow onion ($0.28)


2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.59)
1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.02)
1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
freshly cracked black pepper to taste ($0.03)
2 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.08)
2 oz. cream cheese ($0.20)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.31)
4 oz. fresh spinach ($0.65)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and continue to
boil until tender (7-10 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander.
2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the creamy tomato sauce. Dice the onion and
mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a large skillet and sauté over
medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (3-5 minutes).
3. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, salt, and
some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste
and a 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste has mixed into
the sauce.
4. Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add
them to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the
cream cheese has fully melted and the sauce is creamy. Add the Parmesan to the
skillet and stir until it is melted into the sauce.
5. Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted
(2-3 minutes). Add the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato
sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
NUTRITION

Serving: 1 serving・ Calories: 309.43 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 54.15 g ・ Protein: 11.53 g
・ Fat: 5.75 g ・ Sodium: 348.9 mg ・ Fiber: 5.75 g
Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclaimer here.
EQUIPMENT
Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
Whisk
Measuring Cups Spoons

The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products we use and love. As an
Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
HOW TO MAKE CR EAM Y TO M ATO AND

SPINACH PASTA – STEP BY STEP PHOTO S
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 8oz. penne pasta. Boil the pasta until tender,
then drain in a colander. You’ll prepare the creamy tomato sauce while the pasta is cooking.
Dice one onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add them to a large skillet with 1 Tbsp olive
oil. Sauté over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add ½ tsp dried basil, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, a pinch of crushed red pepper, some
freshly cracked pepper, and one 15oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices) to the skillet and stir
to combine.
Also add 2 Tbsp tomato paste and ½ cup water to the skillet. This will help make the sauce
thicker and with a more tomatoey punch. Continue to stir and cook over medium heat until
the tomato paste has mixed into the sauce.
Turn the heat down to low. Cut 2 oz. cream cheese into chunks and add it to the skillet. Stir
or whisk the sauce until the cream cheese has melted into the sauce. It will look a little
clumpy at first, but the cream cheese will eventually melt and the sauce will smooth out.
Once the cream cheese has melted in, add ¼ cup grated Parmesan. Stir until the Parmesan
has melted into the sauce.
Add 4 oz. fresh spinach to the skillet. Stir the skillet until the heat from the sauce wilts the
spinach (1-2 minutes).
Finally, add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet and stir to combine.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Shown garnished with another pinch of Parmesan and freshly cracked pepper.
POSTED ON MAY 21, 2020 IN EGG FREE RECIPES, MAIN 795 COMMENTS »
DISH RECIPES, PASTA RECIPES, QUICK RECIPES, RECIPES 
UNDER $5, SOY FREE RECIPES, TOP RECIPES, UNDER $1
PER SERVING
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795 COMMENTS ON “CREAMY TOMATO AND SPINACH PA STA”
« Older Comments
LISA —
07.15.21 @ 5:09 AM REPLY
This was delicious . Everyone liked it. I had all the ingredients already and it was
quick and easy. It tasted like I put in a lot more effort than I actually did 😉
JEFF —
07.09.21 @ 3:17 AM REPLY 
I’ve made this 4 times. 2 times exactly as the recipe is written. Delicious! Once I added
mushrooms and zucchini. Delicious! Once I replaced the cream cheese with goat’s
cheese. Delicious! Thanks for this recipe.
JULIANA —
07.08.21 @ 2:55 PM REPLY
Can I use frozen spinach ?
BETH - BUDGET BYTES —

07.09.21 @ 10:49 AM REPLY
You can, but the texture will probably be a bit more stringy. You’ll want to fully
thaw the spinach and squeeze out the excess moisture before adding to the
pasta.
KAYLA —
07.08.21 @ 1:27 AM REPLY
This is the best pasta I’ve ever made. I was astounded at how good it turned out. The
sauce is absolutely mouthwatering. It would be great with some chicken too. I will
definitely keep this recipe. Thanks!!
MESSINA —
06.29.21 @ 4:13 AM REPLY
This is good!! I added some grilled chicken just because. This will definitely be one of
my new rotations for when I want to treat myself! (Fiancé doesn’t like tomatoes or
spinach haha!) I enjoy how it is not difficult to make as well.
TOMMY —
06.28.21 @ 7:20 AM REPLY
Im really hungry

JILL K —
06.24.21 @ 11:08 AM REPLY
Made this last weekend and it was SO good. I added rotisserie chicken to it!
Do you have any experience freezing this? I was wondering about cooking it all the
way through then freezing in a foil pan and reheating maybe in the oven?
BETH - BUDGET BYTES —

06.25.21 @ 10:02 AM REPLY
I haven’t tried freezing this one, unfortunately. A lot of times creamy sauces
don’t do so well with freezing and thawing, but this one uses cream cheese
which tends to stabilize creamy sauces, so it might work!
JENEE —
06.23.21 @ 8:14 PM REPLY
I added bacon and put extra parmesan. It would’ve been amazing without it, but oh
my GOSH it’s so good.
ALI —
06.13.21 @ 8:45 PM REPLY
Delicious! I blended it up before adding the cream cheese because it was a bit too
chunky for my toddler and it was a good call because he liked it! :)
YORISSA —
05.24.21 @ 3:45 PM REPLY
I make this all the time, it’s delicious.
STEPHANIE —
05.11.21 @ 5:31 PM REPLY
This is delicious. I blended the sauce to make it less chunky. Then I subbed
mascarpone for the cream cheese.
« Older Comments
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19/07/2021 Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta - with VIDEO - Budget Bytes

CREAMY TOMATO AND

JUMP TO RECIPE  GROCERY LIST  FAVORITES

Originally posted 7-28-2013, updated 5-21-2020.

WHAT TO SERVE WI TH C R EAM Y TO MATO AND

CAN I SUBSTITUTE THE C R EAM C HEESE?

CAN I USE A DIFFER ENT PASTA?

CAN I USE FROZEN S PI NAC H?

CREAMY TOMATO AND

1/2 lb. penne pasta ($0.75) 4.86 from 360 votes

1 yellow onion ($0.28)

Tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!

Stainless Steel Pots and Pans

Measuring Cups Spoons

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

HOW TO MAKE CR EAM Y TO M ATO AND

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Sign up for the Budget Bytes

Name Email Address

795 COMMENTS ON “CREAMY TOMATO AND SPINACH PA STA”

Can I use frozen spinach ?

BETH - BUDGET BYTES —

BETH - BUDGET BYTES —

I make this all the time, it’s delicious.

« PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST »

HOW TO CALCUL ATE RECIPE SPINACH STUF F ED

As a food lover and a number

>>>> FIRST TIME VISITING? Start Here! <<<<

ONE POT RECIPES

EAT MORE, SPEND LESS.

Sign up for our newsletter and you'll

Enter Your Email

I'll never sell, share, or give away your

CONNECT BROWSE INFORMATION

Facebook Recipes Hi, I’m Beth…

©2021 Budget Bytes. Design by Purr.

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