Easy Spinach Pasta for Kids
Fettuccine ribbons get a smooth green coating from spinach blended with cream cheese and milk. The pasta boils while the spinach wilts, then the sauce and noodles are tossed briefly over low heat. Draining wet spinach and adding pasta water only as needed help the sauce cling to the ribbons rather than pool in the bowl.
Makes 4 family servings. Prep time is about 10 minutes; cook time is about 15 minutes.
Ingredients for Spinach Pasta
- 12 ounces dry fettuccine (340g)
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach (140g)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15g)
- 3 ounces plain cream cheese, softened (85g)
- 1/3 cup milk (80g)
- Up to 1/4 teaspoon salt for the sauce, or to taste, plus salt for the pasta water as appropriate for the eaters
- 1 small sprig fresh basil, about 2 to 4 leaves, for serving
Optional: Add a small pinch of garlic powder to the blender if your household likes garlic.
Frozen spinach: Use about 1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach in place of the fresh spinach. Squeeze it very dry and warm it briefly in the skillet before blending. The sauce may be darker.
How to Make Spinach Fettuccine
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it as appropriate for the eaters. Add the fettuccine and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally. Begin checking at the package’s earliest suggested time; the ribbons should be tender but still hold their shape. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
- Wilt the spinach: While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach in batches if needed. Start checking after 1 minute and turn the leaves until fully wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes total. Drain off any pooled liquid so it does not thin the sauce.
- Blend the sauce: Let the spinach stop steaming heavily, then transfer it to a blender with the softened cream cheese, milk, and a little salt. Blend for about 1 minute, until smooth with no visible cream-cheese lumps. Vent the blender as directed by its manufacturer when blending warm ingredients.
- Coat the fettuccine: Return the sauce to the skillet and add the drained pasta. Toss gently over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until warmed through. If the sauce is too thick to coat the ribbons, add reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time. Stop when the coating clings without pooling beneath the pasta; do not boil the sauce.
- Serve: Mound the ribbons loosely in shallow bowls and top with the basil sprig. Cut an individual child’s portion into manageable lengths if needed, and let it cool to an appropriate eating temperature.
How to Keep the Spinach Sauce Smooth
Start with the measured milk rather than adding extra liquid to the blender. If the sauce looks thin once it meets the pasta, toss it briefly over low heat without adding pasta water. If it tightens as it stands, stir in a small splash of warm water or milk.
Keep the final toss gentle. Prolonged high heat can separate the dairy sauce and dull its green color.
Serving Ribbon Pasta to Kids
Fettuccine gives this dish its long, sauce-coated ribbons. For a child who needs shorter noodles, cut the cooked portion on their plate rather than changing the pasta shape for the whole batch. Remove or finely cut the basil garnish on that portion if preferred.
Storing and Reheating
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet or microwave with a splash of water or milk, stirring until heated through.
For make-ahead preparation, keep the sauce separate and toss it with just-cooked pasta before serving. If freezing the sauce, freeze it separately from the pasta; its dairy-based texture may change after thawing.
For a different green-vegetable pasta, see Parmesan pea pasta for kids.
Nutrition
Approximate per family serving (1/4 of the recipe): 435 calories, 14g protein, 12g fat, and 67g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g of finished pasta: 160 calories, 5g protein, 4g fat, and 24g carbohydrates. Values vary with the pasta, dairy, and amount of cooking water retained.
Equipment
- Large pot
- 10- to 12-inch skillet
- Blender
- Colander
Ingredients
For the Pasta and Sauce
- 12 ounces dry fettuccine (340 g)
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach (140 g)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15 g)
- 3 ounces plain cream cheese, softened (85 g)
- 1/3 cup milk (80 g)
- Up to 1/4 teaspoon salt for the sauce, or to taste
- Salt for the pasta water, as appropriate
For Serving
- 1 small sprig fresh basil, about 2 to 4 leaves
Optional
- A small pinch of garlic powder
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it as appropriate. Add the fettuccine and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender but still holding its shape.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the fettuccine.
- While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach in batches if needed and turn the leaves until fully wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Drain any pooled liquid from the spinach and let it stop steaming heavily.
- Transfer the spinach to a blender with the cream cheese, milk, and a little salt. Blend for about 1 minute until smooth, venting the blender as directed by its manufacturer.
- Return the sauce to the skillet and add the drained pasta. Toss gently over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until warmed through.
- If needed, add reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce clings to the pasta without pooling. Do not boil the sauce.
- Serve the pasta topped with basil. Cut a child’s portion into manageable lengths if needed and let it cool to a suitable eating temperature.
Tips
- Drain the wilted spinach well so excess liquid does not thin the sauce.
- Start with the measured milk and add pasta water only if the sauce needs thinning.
- Toss gently over low heat; prolonged high heat can separate the sauce and dull its color.
- If the sauce thickens as it stands, stir in a small splash of warm water or milk.
Variations
- Frozen Spinach Pasta: Use about 1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach. Squeeze it very dry and warm it briefly in the skillet before blending; the sauce may be darker.
- Garlic Spinach Pasta: Add a small pinch of garlic powder to the blender if desired.