Creamy Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo (Printable)

Velvety Alfredo sauce mingles with fresh spinach and fettuccine for an elegant and comforting dish.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz fettuccine

→ Alfredo Sauce

02 - 4 tablespoons 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 teaspoon 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

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
03 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and cream cheese, whisking until cream cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.
04 - Incorporate grated Parmesan, black pepper, and nutmeg if used. Stir continuously until cheese melts and sauce thickens. Season with salt to taste.
05 - Add fresh spinach to the sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just wilted.
06 - Toss cooked fettuccine with the sauce. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen and coat pasta evenly.
07 - Plate immediately and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The spinach wilts right into the sauce, so you get nutrition without any veggie-forward taste that might overshadow the creaminess.
  • It comes together in 30 minutes flat, which means you can make this on a random weeknight and feel like you've done something special.
  • The balance between the richness of cream and Parmesan with the earthy spinach somehow makes you feel less guilty about eating something this luxurious.
02 -
  • Heat is your enemy with cream sauces; anything hotter than medium-low after you add the cream risks the sauce breaking into separated, grainy bits that no amount of whisking fixes.
  • Pasta water is liquid gold here, not waste, so always reserve some before draining because it transforms a thick sauce into something that coats the pasta like a dream.
  • Don't grate the cheese until you're ready to use it, because pre-grated cheese will clump up the moment it hits heat, ruining the silky texture you're after.
03 -
  • Save more pasta water than you think you'll need, because the sauce will thicken as it cools and you might want to loosen it further.
  • If the sauce breaks despite your best efforts, whisk in a splash of cold cream off heat and it often comes back together, a trick that's saved me more than once.
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