Creamy Tuscan Pasta

Creamy Tuscan Pasta

I made this pasta for a grilled lamb dinner party with one vegetarian guest. I wanted something that would make a wonderful vegetarian main course for him, that also worked as a side dish for everyone else.

This was perfect. I served lamb to the omnivores, pasta to my vegetarian and everyone had a choice of summer corn salad, lemon asparagus and this pasta as a side dish if they wanted more!

To make this recipe truly vegetarian, be sure to use vegetarian parmesan. I find lots of people (including many vegetarians!) don’t realize that traditional parmesan is not vegetarian. 

Parmesan includes animal rennet, a complex collection of enzymes that curdles protein in milk during the cheese-making process. But many brands use vegetable rennet, and I personally can’t tell the difference between vegetarian and non-vegetarian parmesan. I include a few of my favorite vegetarian brands below.

Ingredient Notes

heavy cream – Make sure to use heavy whipping cream, or “double cream” in Europe. Not “Half and Half.”

vegetable broth – I suggest using low sodium. The parmesan is going to add a nice amount of salt to the pasta. No need to add more.

rotini pasta – By all means, use whichever pasta is your favorite. I like how rotini’s nooks and crannies hold all that tasty, creamy sauce, but I’ve also used gnocchi for Tuscan pasta and it’s incredible too!

italian seasoning – You’ll be surprised how fresh this recipe tastes with only dry spices, but if you wanted to mix your own fresh Italian seasoning, very finely chop oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. 

basil – Although there is some basil in dry Italian seasoning, there’s nothing like the taste of fresh basil! I find a little goes a long way.

spinach – Ideally, use fresh spinach, but you can substitute with frozen, as long as it’s thawed and very well drained first.

parmesan – as noted above, parmesan is not traditionally vegetarian. For vegetarian brands of parmesan, you can try Whole Foods 365 brand, Organic Valley or Sartori Parmesan Sarvecchio.

How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step

1. Coarsely chop 3 cups fresh spinach, packed. Set aside.

2. Finely chop ¼ cup fresh basil. Set aside.

3. Dice 1 small red onion, set aside.

4. Grate ½ cup fresh parmesan. Set aside.

5. In a sauté pan, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and diced onion. Allow it to sauté for 3-5 minutes. Then, place chopped spinach and chopped basil on top. Allow it to sauté with onion for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Remove both from the pan and set aside.

6. Set 1 quart of water to boil (this doesn’t have to be an exact amount. You just want to be sure you have enough water to boil 8 ounces of pasta). In a sauté pan, add 1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup vegetable broth, grated parmesan, 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. Italian seasoning. Over MEDIUM-HIGH heat, use a spatula to move and stir the sauce for 10-12 minutes until thick and bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Turn off heat and cover with a lid when ready.

7. While sauce thickens, boil 8 oz. rotini. Follow the directions on your pasta package, but generally, rotini should take about 8-12 minutes to boil. Pour pasta into a colander to strain out water when finished. Pour cooked pasta back into the pot, add sauce, cooked spinach, and onions. 

8. Give everything a nice stir and serve immediately. 

Recipe Note

If you want to give this pasta even more pizazz, try adding:

• cherry tomatoes
• sautéd zucchini
• sliced kalamata olives
• peas
• diced bell peppers
• chopped broccoli
• garbanzo beans
• green beans
• sun-dried tomatoes
• sautéd mushrooms