Lemon Spinach Garlic Pasta
Make this easy lemon spinach garlic pasta in just 15 minutes for a healthy weeknight dinner with a bright and zesty punch.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rotini
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 pinch sea salt
- ½ medium lemon juiced, plus extra for serving
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese plus extra for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the rotini according to the package directions.
- Once the pasta is about 6 or 7 minutes out from being done, start cooking the spinach. Add half of the olive oil to a large frying pan with the garlic and heat over medium until fragrant, about 1 minute or so.Then, add the spinach in batches and sauté until wilted, adding a little extra olive oil as needed if the pan starts to dry out too much. Once all the spinach is wilted, season with a pinch of sea salt and turn the heat to low.
- Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any garlic that might have gotten stuck.
- Strain the cooked pasta, then add the noodles to the frying pan. Add the remaining extra virgin olive oil and the grated parmesan, and stir to combine.
- Serve hot, finishing each dish with a light squeeze of lemon juice and optional grated parmesan.
Notes
Pasta noodles: You can use any short pasta noodle for this recipe - rotini, penne, ziti, whatever is in your pantry!
Wilting spinach: Be careful not to overcook the spinach, especially if you’re wilting it in many batches. You want it to maintain its bright green color. When the spinach starts looking just a little limp, add the next batch, and once it’s all just barely wilted, lower the heat.
Adding lemon juice: When using fresh lemon, make sure to squeeze the juice over a fine mesh strainer to catch any seeds - you don’t want these ending up in your dinner! Also, don’t skip the extra squeeze of fresh lemon before serving. Adding a little extra acid is absolutely necessary to balance this dish, as it brightens the flavors and makes everything pop.
Scaling: If you’re planning on doubling or even tripling this recipe, we recommend either scaling up the size of your frying pan proportionally (so you can still add the cooked pasta directly to the pan), or mixing everything together in a large bowl once the pasta is ready.
If you have to cook the spinach in many batches, wilt about 5 ounces at a time, then remove it from the pan before starting the next batch. Then, once all of the spinach is cooked down, you can add all of it back to the pan to warm it through, season with salt, and continue on as the recipe states. This will help you make sure none of the spinach is overcooked.
Storing and reheating leftovers: You can store leftovers of this lemon spinach garlic pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave single servings for about 1 to 2 minutes (stir halfway through), or warm over medium-low heat in a frying pan for about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 571mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 6673IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 3mg
