Quick Marinara Pasta Spinach (Printable)

Vibrant pasta tossed with marinara sauce and fresh spinach, perfect for busy weeknights.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried spaghetti or penne
02 - Salt, to season pasta water

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
06 - 5 oz fresh baby spinach
07 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ To Serve

09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
10 - Fresh basil leaves (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Pour marinara sauce into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer. Add red pepper flakes if using.
04 - Stir in fresh baby spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Add drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water gradually until desired consistency is reached.
06 - Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely done in 20 minutes, which means you can have a real dinner on the table on nights when you're tired.
  • Fresh spinach melts into the sauce so seamlessly it feels sophisticated, but you barely did anything.
  • The pasta water trick—I learned this almost by accident—saves the sauce from being cloyingly thick and actually makes the whole dish come together like restaurant cooking.
02 -
  • Pasta water is your secret weapon—don't drain it into the sink like I used to; that starchy liquid is what makes everything emulsify and taste coherent instead of like sad wet pasta in sauce.
  • Fresh spinach looks like it takes up half your skillet, but it shrinks to almost nothing when it wilts, so don't panic and add more.
03 -
  • Use a skillet that's large enough to toss the finished pasta without it spilling everywhere—this is one of those small tools that changes everything about the cooking experience.
  • If you're cooking for someone you want to impress, garnish the bowls individually at the table instead of serving from one big dish; it takes 10 extra seconds and somehow makes people feel seen.
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