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April 13, 2017

Parmesan Spinach Mac and Cheese

This parmesan spinach mac and cheese is an easy, satisfying recipe for busy weeknights.

In a hurry? Click here to jump straight to the recipe & video!

Cavatappi pasta with white sauce and spinach inside a large saucepan.

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?

Mac and cheese in a shallow white bowl on a dark grey background.

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:

  1. Make pasta.
  2. Whisk sauce.
  3. Add spinach.
  4. Add cheese.
  5. Cover pasta in spinach cheese sauce.
  6. Stuff the pasta in your face.
Mac and cheese in a shallow white bowl on a dark grey table.

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?

Silver spoon stirring mac and cheese together in a dark pot.

VIDEO: How to make parmesan spinach mac and cheese

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Print
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Mac and cheese in a shallow white bowl on a grey table.

Parmesan Spinach Mac and Cheese

★★★★★ 5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Jessie
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
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Description

Easy parmesan spinach mac and cheese.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 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

  1. Cook the pasta in very salty water until al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.
  2. Return empty pasta pot to stove and turn the heat to medium.
  3. Add butter to pot and heat until just melted.
  4. Whisk flour into butter and let cook for 30 seconds.
  5. 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.
  6. Stir chopped spinach, salt, and pepper into sauce and cook 1-2 minutes more until spinach has wilted.
  7. Remove sauce from heat.
  8. Add cream cheese and shredded parmesan cheese to sauce and stir until cheese has melted.
  9. 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

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Comments

  1. Erika says:
    February 16, 2021

    Absolutely what o was looking for. I added some garlic to mine.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Team Life As A Strawberry says:
      February 18, 2021

      We’re so happy you loved it! We love the addition of garlic!

      Reply
  2. Lauren says:
    January 29, 2021

    This turned out so good. I would add more spinach next time. I really enjoyed this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Team Life As A Strawberry says:
      January 30, 2021

      We’re SO happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  3. Rosanne says:
    December 6, 2020

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Team Life As A Strawberry says:
      December 7, 2020

      WAHOO! We’re so happy to hear this recipe helped you recreate it!

      Reply
  4. Shehnaz says:
    November 2, 2020

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Team Life As A Strawberry says:
      November 4, 2020

      Thanks so much! We love the addition of red pepper flakes!

      Reply
  5. Katie says:
    September 23, 2019

    Can you use regular Parmesan cheese that you too you pasta with sauce?

    Reply
    • Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says:
      October 16, 2019

      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 🙂

      Reply
  6. Shannon says:
    August 4, 2019

    This got a thumbs up from my son who suddenly despises all vegetables! How do you think this would turn out with broccoli instead?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says:
      August 15, 2019

      Woohoo! We love getting the kids approval!

      Reply
    • Jessie @ Life As A Strawberry says:
      August 22, 2019

      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!

      Reply
  7. Diana Bernardo says:
    May 15, 2019

    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

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says:
      May 24, 2019

      Thanks Diana!

      Reply
  8. Samantha says:
    April 10, 2019

    Hello, do you think heavy cream would work as a substitute for the milk?
    Thanks, Sam

    Reply
    • Jessie @ Life As A Strawberry says:
      April 24, 2019

      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!

      Reply
  9. Nicole says:
    February 24, 2019

    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 🙁

    Reply
    • Newt says:
      March 5, 2019

      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…. 🤔🙄

      Reply
  10. zaynab says:
    November 9, 2018

    hi can I add Garlic to this?

    Reply
    • Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says:
      November 26, 2018

      Sure!

      Reply
  11. Samantha Vogel says:
    August 23, 2018

    What is technically a serving size?

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      August 29, 2018

      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!

      Reply
  12. Kate says:
    December 7, 2017

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      December 8, 2017

      I’m so glad you liked it, Kate! LOVE the walnut addition!

      Reply

 
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