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A bowl of pasta with spinach on a lace table cloth beside flowers
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5 from 2 votes

Creamy Tuscan Pasta

With just 7 main ingredients and only 2 spices, this vegeterian recipe makes a perfectly simple main course or side dish! It’s a freshly-flavored and wholesome pasta dish that your family will love!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Tuscan
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 520kcal
Author: Genevieve Morrison

Equipment

  • 1 cutting board & sharp knife
  • 1 cheese grater
  • 1 sauté pan
  • 1 2 quart pot
  • 1 spatula
  • 1 colander

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. rotini pasta
  • 1 small red onion - diced
  • 3 cups fresh spinach - chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil - chopped
  • ½ cup vegetarian parmesan - grated
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • fresh ground pepper - a nice sprinkle

Instructions

  • In a sauté pan, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and diced onion. Allow it to sauté for 3-5 minutes. Then, place 3 cups fresh spinach and ¼ cup fresh basil on top. Allow it to sauté with onion for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Remove both from the pan and set aside.
  • Set 1 quart of water to boil. In a sauté pan, add 1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup vegetable broth, ½ cup grated vegetarian 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.
  • While sauce thickens, boil 8 oz. rotini. Follow 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, basil and onions. Give everything a nice stir and serve immediately. 

Notes

Parmesan is not traditionally vegetarian. For vegetarian brands of parmesan, you can try Whole Foods 365 brand, Organic Valley or Sartori Parmesan Sarvecchio.
To reheat this pasta, I suggest baking it. The cheese will harden when cold, so it will come out of a container in a solid chunk. Don’t try to separate the pasta when cold, it will just break apart. Place the tasty lump-o-pasta in a baking dish, cover with tin foil, and bake at 425 F. for 20-25 minutes. The cheese will melt and it will easily separate. Give it a stir and serve.
This pasta will stay fresh for 3-4 days when refrigerated in a sealed container.

Nutrition

Serving: 2ounces | Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3245IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 2mg