Tender pasta with crumbled feta, wilted spinach, and a silky sauce made from pasta water. Quick and satisfying.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or spaghetti)
→ Dairy
02 - 7 oz feta cheese, crumbled
→ Vegetables
03 - 5 oz baby spinach, washed
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Pantry
05 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
07 - 0.5 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
08 - Salt to taste
→ Garnish
09 - Zest of 1 lemon
10 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped
# Method:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Transfer the hot, drained pasta to the skillet with the spinach. Sprinkle in the crumbled feta cheese evenly.
05 - Pour approximately 0.5 cup of the reserved pasta water into the skillet. Toss all ingredients together vigorously until the feta melts slightly and forms a creamy emulsion, adding additional pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
06 - Season the pasta with black pepper, chili flakes if using, and salt to taste. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Transfer to serving bowls immediately and garnish with lemon zest and fresh herbs if desired.
