Vegetarian Recipes

Creamed Spinach

https://www.loveandlemons.com/creamed-spinach/

There are tons of reasons to love this easy creamed spinach recipe: it’s fresh and delicious, and it comes together in under 15 minutes, too!
When Jack was growing up, his mom made creamed spinach for Thanksgiving every year. He still raves about her famous recipe, so this year, I used it as inspiration to make a bright, fresh creamed spinach for our holiday feast.

Many creamed spinach recipes use frozen spinach, butter, and cream cheese. I wanted my recipe to put the spinach front and center, so in lieu of frozen spinach, I use a full pound of fresh greens. To let their taste and texture shine, I make a light, tangy cream sauce that gives the fresh spinach the perfect amount of brightness and richness.

Below, you’ll find two variations: a version with coconut milk and one with heavy cream. The coconut milk variation has a light coconut flavor, which makes this side dish extra fresh. If you’re seeking a more traditional creamed spinach, the heavy cream version is just as good, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese really takes it over the top. Jack fully approves of both, so you can’t lose here!

How to Make Creamed Spinach

This easy creamed spinach recipe takes under 15 minutes from start to finish. Here’s how to make it:

First, cook the spinach. This recipe calls for a full pound of spinach, so you’ll likely need to work in batches. Sauté the leaves just until they wilt – they should keep their bright color and plenty of texture.
Next, squeeze out the excess water. Allow the sautéed spinach to cool slightly, and then squeeze out any excess water from the leaves. Don’t skip this step, or your creamed spinach will be watery!
Then, make the cream sauce. First, sauté shallot and garlic. Then, add the spinach back into the pan and stir in coconut milk or heavy cream to make the sauce’s rich base, cornstarch to thicken it, and Dijon mustard for pop. Of course, I finish mine with a good squeeze of lemon!
Serve! Taste and adjust the seasonings, and you’re ready to eat.

This recipe is an excellent holiday side dish, but it’s also a good one to have in your back pocket for dinner any night of the week. Serve it with your favorite protein, or pair it with farro or quinoa and roasted chickpeas to make a quick, easy meal.

Creamed Spinach Recipe Tips

Work in batches. What I love about this creamed spinach recipe is how the spinach retains its vibrant color and a slight crunch. To avoid overcooking the greens, sauté the spinach in batches, transferring each batch to a plate just after the leaves wilt. I usually sauté 3-4 batches of greens in a large skillet for this recipe.
Give your sautéed spinach a good squeeze! When you get to this step, don’t be shy. If you don’t squeeze out the excess water from the cooked greens, your creamed spinach will be watery. Once your spinach is cool to the touch, press out as much water as you can, and then press out some more. 🙂
Make it right before you eat. This simple recipe takes about 15 minutes from start to finish, so it’s easy to put together right before you sit down to dinner. Though we always devour any leftovers, this recipe is best hot off the stove, as the spinach has the best color and texture.

More Favorite Vegetarian Side Dishes

If you love this creamed spinach recipe, try one of these veggie side dishes next:

Creamed Spinach

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Side dish

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound spinach
1 shallot, chopped
¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup full-fat coconut milk or ½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 2T warm water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat ½ teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach, toss until just wilted, adding more oil if needed if the pan gets too dry. Transfer to a strainer and squeeze out the excess water.
Wipe out the pan and heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and salt and cook until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sautéed spinach, then add the coconut milk, mustard, and cornstarch mixture, and stir until combined. Stir in the lemon juice, season to taste with more salt and pepper, and serve.

Vegetarian Recipes

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Here’s a quickie recipe for those nights when you just need something fast and delicious. This Lemon Ricotta Pasta is super fast, light, and fresh, which makes it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner during the summer. The bright lemon flavor perfectly compliments the light and creamy ricotta, and the little pops of sweetness from the peas make every bite a little more interesting. Simple, fresh, and easy.

Originally posted 3-4-2011, updated 6-8-2022.

Do I Have to Use Fresh Lemon?

This is one of those recipes where you really do want to use a fresh lemon instead of bottled juice. The zest from the lemon adds a ton of bright, summery lemon flavor to the pasta without making the sauce too sour. We add just a little of the juice to balance the creaminess of the ricotta, but the zest is where you’re getting all that gorgeous sunny lemon flavor!

Not All Ricotta is Created Equal

I find there is quite a bit of variation in the quality of ricotta from brand to brand. Some are smooth, mild, and sweet like fresh milk, while others are bland and grainy. My preferred brand is Galbani, but they didn’t have any at the store when I went, so I got the generic Kroger brand. It was definitely a bit grainy, but the pasta was still quite delicious despite that!

Also, make sure to get whole milk ricotta. Low-fat ricotta just doesn’t hit the same in this recipe.

What Else Can I Add?

This simple pasta is a great jumping-off point for making a more elaborate pasta, if that’s what you’re in the mood for. Try adding some sliced chicken breast, fresh basil, or fresh spinach. Garlic butter shrimp would also go great with this pasta!

What to Serve with Lemon Ricotta Pasta

This pasta is so light and fresh that I suggest keeping any side dishes really simple, light, and fresh as well. I would go with a super simple side salad, or maybe some roasted asparagus and tomatoes.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Lemon Ricotta Pasta is light, fresh, and quick to prepare, making it the perfect pasta for weeknight dinners in the summer.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Total Cost $4.27 recipe / $1.07 serving

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings

Calories 400kcal

Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

1 lemon $0.89
8 oz. pasta* $0.67
1 cup frozen peas $0.50
1 clove garlic, minced $0.08
1 Tbsp butter $0.11
1 cup whole milk ricotta $1.60
1/4 cup grated Parmesan $0.36
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste) $0.02
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste) $0.02
1 pinch crushed red pepper (or to taste) $0.02

Instructions

Zest and juice the lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp zest and 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy water from the pot.
Place the frozen peas in the colander before draining the pasta so the pasta will thaw the peas as it drains.
Add the butter and minced garlic to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the drained pasta and peas, and about ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet with the butter and garlic. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.
Add the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon lemon zest to the skillet. Stir until everything is well combined, the residual heat from the skillet and pasta have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has formed a creamy sauce. Add more of the warm reserved pasta water if needed.
Season the pasta with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Notes

*Use any short shape pasta.

Nutrition

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta – Step By Step Photos

Zest and juice one lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp of zest and 1 Tbsp juice.

Cook 8oz. pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.

Add 1 cup of frozen peas to a colander, then pour the boiled pasta over top to thaw the peas as you drain the pasta.

Add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 clove garlic to a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic becomes very fragrant.

Add the still-hot pasta and peas to the skillet along with about ½ cup of the hot reserved pasta water. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.

Add 1 cup whole milk ricotta, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, and ½ tsp lemon zest to the pasta. Stir until the ingredients are combined, the residual heat from the pasta and skillet have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has turned into a creamy sauce.