Spinach Fettuccine

Why I Love This Spinach Fettuccine Recipe

• Creamy and savory. I learned many moons ago that if you add enough garlic to a recipe, all delicious things fall into place. This easy fettuccine recipe has plenty of rich, garlicky flavor in the cream sauce and breadcrumb topping. 
• Ready in 30 minutes. Who doesn’t love a speedy dinner on a weeknight? Any meal that I can have on the table in a half hour or less is automatically in my good books.
• Breadcrumb crunch. Crunchy breadcrumbs are such an underrated pasta topping. They’re not just for mac and cheese! I toasted up some chunky panko crumbs with garlic to sprinkle over this spinach fettuccine when serving. BIG success.
• Flexible. There are so many ways that you can adapt this creamy fettuccine with spinach. Change up the greens, add veggies, or top it with protein. I include some easy add-in ideas later on.

Ingredients You’ll Need

I think what I love most about quick pasta recipes like this spinach fettuccine and others, like my one-pot pasta and chicken broccoli pasta, is that they don’t require any fancy ingredients to turn out delicious! Just a few fridge and pantry ingredients, that’s it. 

Check out my notes on what you’ll need for this recipe here, and scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list with the full details.

• Fettuccine – Technically, you can make this recipe with any pasta you’d like. Other good choices are linguine, spaghetti, and short-cut pasta shapes like rigatoni, penne shells, or bowtie pasta.
• Olive Oil – Avocado oil or butter also works.
• Onion and Garlic – Chopped yellow or white onion and freshly minced garlic.
• Vegetable Broth – You could also use low-sodium chicken stock or broth.
• Flour – I recommend all-purpose flour, to thicken the broth.
• Milk – Any milk you’d like, to make the sauce creamy, similar to a béchamel.
• Baby Spinach – You can also make this recipe with chopped regular spinach or kale.
• Seasonings – Garlic powder (or onion powder), salt, and pepper. You can replace the garlic powder in this recipe with an extra fresh garlic clove if you’d like.
• Parsley and Parmesan – Chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese or pecorino, to finish off the sauce.
• Breadcrumbs – I love the extra crunch of topping creamy pasta dishes with toasted seasoned breadcrumbs (like my ravioli lasagna). Panko has nice, big crumbs, but regular breadcrumbs will also work. I toast them with butter and a little garlic before sprinkling them over the pasta when serving.

How to Make Spinach Fettuccine

Ready to meet your next favorite weeknight pasta recipe? Follow these easy steps, and scroll a bit further down for easy variations and serving suggestions afterward.

• Cook the pasta. Start by boiling the fettuccine al dente following the directions on the package.
• Sauté. Meanwhile, sauté the onion and garlic in a skillet with oil or butter.
• Make the sauce. Whisk the flour into the vegetable broth, then add it to the skillet. Whisk in the milk. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer while you wilt in the spinach leaves.
• Combine. Once the sauce thickens, give it a quick season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir in the fresh parsley. Lastly, take the pan off the heat and add the parmesan cheese.
• Toast the breadcrumbs. Get some minced garlic sautéeing with melted butter in a separate skillet. Stir in the breadcrumbs, and keep stirring while they lightly toast for a few minutes.
• Put it all together. Finally, add the cooked fettuccine to the sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle the pasta with your freshly toasted breadcrumbs, and serve!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Do your best to store any leftovers without the breadcrumb topping, otherwise the crumbs tend to get a bit soggy. Store this spinach fettuccine in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
• Reheat. Warm leftovers in the microwave or a saucepan on the stovetop. I like to sprinkle the pasta with a little water or broth to loosen up the sauce and add a fresh sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs before serving.