Creamy Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo (Printable Version)

Tender fettuccine with creamy Alfredo sauce and fresh spinach offers a smooth, comforting Italian-American flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz fettuccine

→ Alfredo Sauce

02 - 4 tbsp 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 tsp 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

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine until al dente according to package instructions. 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, avoiding browning.
03 - Reduce heat to low. Whisk in heavy cream and cream cheese until smooth and cream cheese is fully melted.
04 - Stir in grated Parmesan, black pepper, and nutmeg if using. Continue stirring until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens. Season with salt to taste.
05 - Add spinach to the sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until just wilted.
06 - Toss cooked fettuccine in the sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to attain desired consistency and evenly coat the pasta.
07 - Plate immediately and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in under five minutes, so you get restaurant-quality results without the restaurant wait time.
  • Fresh spinach wilts right into the cream, making this feel indulgent and healthy at the same time.
  • It's the kind of meal that makes people think you've been cooking all day, even when you haven't.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks and becomes grainy or separated-looking, don't panic—take it off heat immediately and whisk in a splash of cold cream to bring it back together.
  • Reserve the pasta water before you drain; that starchy water is liquid gold for loosening a sauce that's too thick.
  • Cook the spinach in the sauce, not in the pasta water, because boiling spinach makes it taste dull and metallic.
03 -
  • Keep your skillet on low heat once the cream is in; high heat and dairy don't mix, and one boil can break the whole sauce.
  • The cream cheese is the difference between sauce that breaks and sauce that stays silky, so don't skip it even though it seems odd to add to Italian cooking.
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