If there's one sauce I absolutely love making over and over again, it would be a homemade pesto. Having homemade pesto on hand is great for busy weeknights to throw on to some pasta, veggies, or seafood.
This recipe for creamy pesto pasta with spinach is going to be that "go to easy dinner recipe" that the whole family will devour. It's actually finger licking good, and no I'm not exaggerating.
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This recipe was updated on April 25th, 2025 to remove redundant information, condense wordiness, and add in the recipe at a glance for user experience.
Recipe at a Glance
- Cook Level: It honestly doesn't any easier than adding ingredients to a blender, boiling pasta, and mixing it all together.
- Cook Time: This won't take much longer than 20 minutes from start to finish. The longest part of this recipe is boiling the pasta.
- Taste: Creamy, herby, savory, cheesy, and oh so satisfying. Basil, cream, cheese, and pasta, what could be better?
- Swaps and Subs: Use jarred pesto instead of homemade if you are short on time. Feel free to use gluten free pasta instead of regular pasta. Swap the basil for spinach or arugula for a fun twist in the pesto sauce.
- Pairings: Serve this creamy pesto pasta with oven baked juicy chicken thighs, Italian baked turkey meatballs, or throw in some yummy eggplant ricotta meatballs.
Tried and True Tips and Tricks
- We are aiming for rich flavor when making the basil pesto sauce, so don't be afraid to add a little extra parmesan cheese when combining it together in the blender. It should be a creamy sauce, not runny.
- When stirring in the pesto sauce, be sure to use enough to coat the pasta and keep it creamy. You might think you are adding in too much of the sauce, but trust me, you want it creamy and you want the pasta to be coated well and not dry out.
- Don't rinse the drained pasta, as rinsing the pasta will wash away starch which actually helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
Important Ingredients
- Fresh Basil - the most common herb to use for pesto is basil. It adds an earthy, lightly spicy flavor to pesto, and just tastes delicious.
- Parmesan Cheese - parmesan helps to give the pesto a creaminess and binds together.
- Olive Oil - another very typical ingredient in making pesto. The olive oil aids in making it creamy and bringing it together in the food processor.
- Garlic - I love making my pesto with a lot of garlic, but if you would prefer a more mild garlic flavor, you can just use one. I roughly chop them before adding to the food processor.
- Heavy Cream - the heavy cream gives the pesto a bright green color, as well as makes the sauce creamier and thicker.
- Pasta Water - starch from the half cup of pasta water helps to make the creamy pesto sauce even creamier and more flavorful.
For the pasta:
- Short Pasta - I like using a corkscrew style pasta when I make pesto, as a long shape of pasta doesn't catch the sauce the way the grooves of fusilli, rigatoni, penne pasta, or farfalle do.
- Butter - sautéing the garlic and shallot in butter gives more richness, and when wilting the spinach. I find using olive oil to cook down the spinach can make the spinach a little crispy, whereas the butter makes it silky, creamy, and brings out the natural flavors of the spinach.
- Garlic - the garlic here should be minced or thinly sliced and added to a large pot to wilt the baby spinach.
- Shallot - I love using shallots in pasta recipes, as it's a different flavor rather than a traditional white or yellow onion.
- Spinach - fresh baby spinach gives more color to the pasta dish, and also just tastes really delicious with pesto sauce and pasta.
- Salt and Black Pepper - I typically add a little salt and freshly cracked black pepper to my dishes to give the recipe balance and bring out the other flavors of the sauce.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Make the Pesto
In a food processor, add in the basil leaves, garlic cloves, olive oil, and parmesan cheese.
Blend until well combined and the basil is fully incorporated.
Add in a little more oil and/or parmesan cheese if you want it creamier.
Blend the Pesto Sauce
Once the pesto is made, or if you are simply using jarred pesto, add to a large blender with the pasta water, heavy cream, and a tablespoon or two of extra parmesan cheese.
Close the blender and blend until very smooth, then set aside.
Boil the Pasta, then Sauté the Spinach
Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add in the pasta of choice. Cook pasta until al dente, and reserve some of the pasta water for the pesto sauce. Drain the pasta, then set it aside.
In the same pot that the pasta cooked, add in a tablespoon of butter and sauté the garlic and shallot in the butter on a medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Once the garlic and shallot are softened, throw in the remaining butter, add in the baby spinach, reduce to a medium-low heat, and cook the spinach until wilted and buttery.
Add in the Sauce and Pasta
Pour the cooked pasta directly into the pot with the spinach, then pour in the creamy pesto sauce and combine pasta with the sauce and the spinach until fully coated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store the leftovers?
Any leftover pasta can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on a medium low heat.
Can I freeze pesto?
YES! Pesto does amazing in the freezer and will last you a long time. Thaw in the fridge or on the countertop until soft. Mix directly into the pasta or use on top of anything else you're looking to cook with it.
What else can I do with the leftover pesto?
If you have leftover pesto, my favorite way to use pesto is on sandwiches like a chicken caprese panini or on a grilled chicken caprese entree for dinner.
Are there other ingredients I can add to this dish to give it more flavor?
Add in grilled shrimp, diced and sautéed chicken, or salmon for extra protein. You could also throw in diced cherry tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, or chopped walnuts.
Hungry for more?
Grab other yummy pasta recipes to round out your menu this week
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Easy Homemade Creamy Pesto Pasta with Spinach
Equipment
- large pot
- measuring cups and spoons
- wooden spatula or spoon
Ingredients
For the Pesto Sauce (if making homemade)
- 4 oz Fresh Basil
- 3 cloves Garlic roughly chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Pasta Water
For the Pasta
- 2 tablespoon Butter divided
- 1 medium Shallot minced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced or finely sliced
- 1 cup Baby Spinach
- 1 lb Pasta
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Pesto Sauce
- In a food processor, add in the basil leaves, garlic cloves, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Blend until well combined and the basil is fully incorporated. Add in a little more oil and/or parmesan cheese if you want it creamier.
- Once the pesto is made, or if you are simply using jarred pesto, add to a large blender with the pasta water, heavy cream, and a tablespoon or two of extra parmesan cheese. Close the blender and blend until very smooth, then set aside.
For the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add in the pasta of choice. Cook pasta until al dente, and reserve some of the pasta water for the pesto sauce. Drain the pasta, then set it aside.
- In the same pot that the pasta cooked, add in a tablespoon of butter and sauté the garlic and shallot in the butter on a medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Once the garlic and shallot are softened, throw in the remaining butter, add in the baby spinach, reduce to a medium-low heat, and cook the spinach until wilted and buttery.
- Pour the cooked pasta directly into the pot with the spinach, then pour in the pesto sauce and combine pasta with the sauce and the spinach until fully coated.
- Garnish with fresh parmesan and basil leaves.
Yani Suri says
Absolutely amazing! The creamy pesto sauce was out of this world!
Renee says
WOWWWW this recipe! I absolutely love pesto, and had a jar in the fridge that I wanted to use up. Came across this recipe for a creamy pesto sauce and I was so excited to eat it. There is no leftovers, it was that good. Cant wait to make it again tomorrow night. What type of meat or protein would go with this?
Morgan Peaceman says
Hi! so happy you loved this recipe. I would say chicken cutlets, grilled chicken, or even a sauteed shrimp would be great with this!