Description
A comforting and forgiving pasta dish featuring rigatoni in a silky, cheesy cream sauce with fresh spinach.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz rigatoni
- 3 cups fresh spinach, loosely packed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- Olive oil (for sautéing)
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Lemon zest or squeeze of lemon (optional)
- Cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
- Cooked shredded rotisserie chicken (optional)
- Crushed toasted breadcrumbs (optional)
- Extra grated Parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni until just shy of al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter. Sauté onion over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 4–6 minutes.
- Pour in heavy cream, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 4–5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk flour with water to create a slurry, then add to the cream while whisking continuously. Cook for another 3–5 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Off the heat, stir in Parmesan, nutmeg, and remaining salt. Adjust sauce consistency with reserved pasta water as needed.
- Add fresh spinach in batches, stirring until wilted, about 3–5 minutes.
- Toss cooked rigatoni with the sauce and heat together for about 1 minute. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve immediately, finishing with black pepper, red pepper flakes, and optional toppings.
Notes
This dish pairs well with a green salad or garlic-roasted vegetables. Leftovers can be reheated with milk to restore creaminess.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: creamy pasta, rigatoni, comfort food, vegetarian, easy dinner