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Creamy Garlic Pasta

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5 from 4 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Calories: 903kcal
Servings: 4 People
Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

  • 500 g Pasta of Choice
  • 14 g Unsalted Butter
  • 5 ml Olive Oil
  • 6 Garlic Cloves Minced
  • 400 ml Thickened Cream
  • 80 ml Chicken or Vegetable Stock
  • 60 g Grana Padano Cheese Grated
  • 120 g Baby Spinach Washed
  • 5 g Flat Leaf Parsley Chopped
  • Salt & Pepper To Taste

Method

  • Place a large pot of water over high heat, season with salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta as per your packet instructions.
  • In a large pan, add the butter, oil and garlic while the pan is still cold. Place over medium-high heat and allow the butter to melt, infusing with the garlic as the pan heats up. Sauté for 2 minutes or until sizzling. Don't brown too much.
  • Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, mixing well. Once boiling, add the thickened cream and seasoning to taste, and mix well. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced and thickened.
  • Add the spinach, mix through until wilted, turn off the heat, and check for seasoning.
  • Add the cheese and mix through to combine, then transfer the pasta straight from the pot into the sauce, adding some of the pasta water if needed.
  • Serve in bowls and garnish with flat-leaf parsley.
Chef's Tips
Start the garlic in a cold pan rather than a hot one — this gently infuses the butter and oil with flavour as it heats up, instead of the garlic catching and turning bitter in a pan that's already hot.
Let the sauce properly reduce during the 10-minute simmer — this is what gives it a clingy, coating consistency rather than a thin, runny one once the pasta goes in.
Add the pasta straight from the pot with a little of its starchy water still on it — that starch helps the sauce grip the pasta instead of pooling in the bottom of the bowl.
Storage & Reheating
Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Not recommended for freezing — the cream sauce will split and turn grainy once thawed. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of milk or cream to loosen the sauce, stirring frequently.
Serving 300gCalories 903kcalCarbohydrates 99.2gProtein 25.4gFat 44.9gSaturated Fat 27.7gPolyunsaturated Fat 1.11gMonounsaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0.2gCholesterol 18.4mgSodium 292.8mgPotassium 460.1mgFiber 4.6gSugar 7.1gVitamin A 514.13IUVitamin C 11.28mgCalcium 235mgIron 4.7mg