This parmesan spinach mac and cheese is an easy, satisfying recipe for busy weeknights.
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I got four different emails this morning from blogger friends who made “detox” or “healthy” or “goddess” veggie-packed recipe things (<– side note, WTF is “goddess” food and someone please tell me why and how this is a thing).
But friends, I’m just gonna let you know now: that is very much NOT how we will be rolling today.
Because in Life As A Strawberry land, where I am somehow the dinnertime cruise director (and am maybe also a little bit drunk with power), we will be enjoying some CARBS that I have COVERED IN CHEESE.
But also there is spinach. Soooo…health food?
This particular spinach mac and cheese recipe is a riff on my faaaaavorite parmesan sauce (which, as you might know, pops up on orzo and spaghetti and gnocchi every so often).
BUT! I’ve simplified the recipe even more today so that this here mac and cheese is ready in 30 minutes. With basically no prep required. Because we have THINGS to do, right?
We’re talking six basic steps to spinach mac and cheese weeknight world domination:
- Make pasta.
- Whisk sauce.
- Add spinach.
- Add cheese.
- Cover pasta in spinach cheese sauce.
- Stuff the pasta in your face.
Like most mac and cheese, this is a great blank-canvas food. Add some protein or extra veggies to mix it up (if you’re into that sorta thing). PS – Check out Mac and Cheese 101 for my best customization tips!
You could also add artichoke hearts for a spinach artichoke dip mac and cheese-type situation, but CONFESSION: I hate artichokes (I haaaaaate them) so I’ll just leave that particular mix to you guys, k?
VIDEO: How to make parmesan spinach mac and cheese
Parmesan Spinach Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
Description
Easy parmesan spinach mac and cheese.
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb. cavatappi pasta
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp. flour
- 2 cups milk (I used 1%)
- 3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 1.5 cups shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in very salty water until al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Return empty pasta pot to stove and turn the heat to medium.
- Add butter to pot and heat until just melted.
- Whisk flour into butter and let cook for 30 seconds.
- Slowly stream milk into pot, whisking constantly to break up any lumps of flour. Cook, whisking occasionally, until sauce has thickened and just begun to simmer, about 7-10 minutes.
- Stir chopped spinach, salt, and pepper into sauce and cook 1-2 minutes more until spinach has wilted.
- Remove sauce from heat.
- Add cream cheese and shredded parmesan cheese to sauce and stir until cheese has melted.
- Return cooked pasta to sauce and stir to coat. Serve immediately.
Notes
Buy good parmesan cheese and shred it yourself – pre-shredded cheese is sometimes coated with preservatives that will prevent it from melting smoothly.
Substitute 1 cup of frozen spinach for the fresh spinach if you like. Fresh arugula can also be used in place of the spinach.
Don’t forget to add plenty of fresh ground pepper to this pasta!
Feel free to bake this mac and cheese if you prefer. I recommend you follow the bread crumb and baking instructions in Mac and Cheese 101.
Add artichoke hearts, garlic, onions, and/or sautéed mushrooms to this macaroni and cheese for an extra boost of vegetables. You could also add steamed broccoli, peas, corn, or bell pepper.
For extra protein, add chicken, shrimp, bacon, or smoked salmon. Cook the meat separately and stir it into the pasta when you’re ready to serve.
Strict vegetarians can make this recipe with vegetarian parmesan cheese (the kind that does not contain rennet).
For a healthy twist, swap our favorite Magic Cauliflower Cream for the flour and milk in this recipe!
Nutrition
- Calories: 541
Absolutely what o was looking for. I added some garlic to mine.
★★★★★
We’re so happy you loved it! We love the addition of garlic!
This turned out so good. I would add more spinach next time. I really enjoyed this recipe!
★★★★★
We’re SO happy you enjoyed it!
My 9-year-old daughter loves the “farfalle with 4 cheeses and spinach” from Trader Joe’s. Previous attempts to replicate it at home using various other recipes were unsuccessful. This one, however, was a huge hit! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
WAHOO! We’re so happy to hear this recipe helped you recreate it!
Loved this recipe and really appreciated the suggestions! I added garlic, shallots and grilled chicken. It came out great. My family likes a bit of heat, so next time I may add some red pepper flakes. Thank you!
★★★★★
Thanks so much! We love the addition of red pepper flakes!
Can you use regular Parmesan cheese that you too you pasta with sauce?
Hi Katie, Can you clarify your questions please – are you asking to use parm cheese on the pasta that is used in the sauce? LEt us know so we can give you a direct answer 🙂
This got a thumbs up from my son who suddenly despises all vegetables! How do you think this would turn out with broccoli instead?
★★★★★
Woohoo! We love getting the kids approval!
Yay! So happy to hear that! This would definitely be great with broccoli. We also love adding asparagus, peas, or arugula for some extra green!
Made this for my family and they loved it! To make it a main dish I added cooked chicken, corn and chopped bacon. Made a nice big pot and got high marks from my guys! Great recipe
★★★★★
Thanks Diana!
Hello, do you think heavy cream would work as a substitute for the milk?
Thanks, Sam
You can certainly use heavy cream if you like, but it will be a LOT richer and will thicken much more quickly! The sauce thickens up plenty with just the milk, so you definitely don’t need the cream, but if that’s all you have on hand (and you don’t want that extra richness) you can also use half cream and half vegetable stock to lighten it up! Hope that helps!
So pasta generally comes in a 1 pound box – why oh why make a recipe that calls for 3/4 pounds??I’m not going to want to try a recipe that leaves a 1/4 pound of basically useless pasta in my pantry 🙁
How hard is it to SAVE the 1/4# until you have a FULL # for Future recipe? You could even throw it into a SOUP for added texture…. 🤔🙄
hi can I add Garlic to this?
Sure!
What is technically a serving size?
I don’t specifically measure out serving sizes – I just divide it up into six equal-looking portions! If I had to guess, I’d say a serving here is about 1.5 cups of the final, cooked dish. Hope that helps!
I just made this as a casserole.
I used soy milk and ditalini pasta because that’s what I had on hand.
Also I added about two tablespoons of crushed walnuts. 1 TBS in the mixture and 1TBS in the topping. They were leftover and really added extra tastyness! Yum!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked it, Kate! LOVE the walnut addition!