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I tend to talk about kale and spinach the way that some people talk about their first born children.  With a twinkle in my eye and a warm squishy feeling in my heart.

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It makes The.Boy. nervous when I do this.

Primarily because, well. Would you really want to be dating someone who has absolutely no qualms about inhaling her babies with the appetite of a ravenous vulture?

Yeah, doesn’t bode well.

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But I think it’s also that he’s come to realize that if I’m waxing poetic about the virtues of leafy greens, it probably means that I have at least twelve bunches of them in my fridge.

And if that’s the case…

…then you know what I’ll be force feeding him we’ll be having for dinner.

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The good news is, though, that even though he’ll make an “ewww kale!” face whenever I so much as mention the brassica, let alone place a big bowl of it in front of him and tell him to dig in.

He’ll eat it without a single complaint.

And then he’ll pounce on the leftovers the next day for lunch.

As it turns out, he actually doesn’t care what’s in his food so long as it tastes good.

Not exactly my eating mentality, but since I happen to care so exquisitely about what goes into every bite that I ingest that it has to taste good…it works.

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And who knows…soon I may have him swaddling bunches of kale and containers of spinach before putting them in the fridge also.

(Because that helps keep them fresher for longer.  Not for, you know…future practice or anything.  Obviously.)

But for now…I’ll just be grateful that he dove into this big bowl of green with a fervor that rivaled my own.  And rightfully so, because it was damn delicious.  A spinach avocado pesto that tastes creamy and buttery even though there is not a hint of either in it, offset by the deeply sweet and slightly tangy flavor of roasted cherry tomatoes…

…what more could you ask for in a gorgeously verdant plate of pasta?

Sigh.  That baby spinach really did grow up so fast, didn’t it?

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Creamy Spinach Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes
Serves 4, adapted from Pink Parsley and Perry’s Plate

Ingredients

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • pinch of sugar
  • 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb baby spinach
  • 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1/4 cup basil
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375.  Toss the tomatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and a pinch of sugar.  Put on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing once midway through.
  2. Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking water for the sauce.
  3. As the pasta cooks, saute the onion in 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet until softened, 5-6 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook about 30 seconds more, or until fragrant.  Add in the spinach a few handfuls at a time, waiting until the previous bunch has started to wilt before adding the second.
  4. Remove from heat and stir the Greek yogurt and avocado into the pan.  Add 2-3 tbsp of the reserved pasta water and, using an immersion blender (or a food processor), puree the mixture until smooth, adding more pasta water as needed to give it a sauce-like consistency.
  5. Stir in the basil and parmesan.  Add the noodles to the sauce, tossing well to coat.  Serve the noodles topped with a spoonful of the roasted tomatoes.

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights which is being hosted this week by Simona of Briciole.

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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89 Responses to Creamy Spinach Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes

  1. OohLookBel says:

    A big bowl of buttery pasta that has no butter? Sign me up, please!

  2. Megan says:

    The cream sauce looks really silky and sounds like a great pasta accompaniment… and a creative way to use up a lot of greens.

  3. Food compatibilty is so important in a relationship. So happy to hear he eats kale! And loves your kitchen creations. 🙂

  4. Katie says:

    I’m glad he’s adventurous and willing to try those things (and I wouldn’t worry too much about eating your babies… I don’t think those two are highly correlated). I was delighted to see that the cream in this was Greek Yogurt. Can’t wait to try it!

  5. daphne says:

    awww.. good to know he is game enough to try!! love the yogurt idea as well and how fresh this is!

  6. SallyBR says:

    This is my kind of recipe, all the way. You had me at the yogurt and I am not leaving you after the avocado.

    pass the plate, thank you!

    great photos too…

  7. bellini says:

    This is my way to eat spinach along with a nice spinach salad too:D

  8. Guys are so funny! You mention something like kale and go ewww, but yet they eat it!!! Your pasta dish looks amazing!! I love that you used spinach!!!

    Oh and I love that you call him .The Boy, that always cracks me up!

  9. I love the addition of avocado to this! This is such a beautiful pasta dish 🙂

  10. Amy says:

    “Not for, you know…future practice or anything” HEE. This kind of sort of maybe reminds me of the creamy avocado pasta you made that made my heart go pitter-pat. Want. Need.

  11. Cara says:

    Glad I’m not the only one who talks about my food that way 🙂

  12. JasmyneTea says:

    Be still my beating heart – that bowl of pasta is simply badass. Yum!

  13. That pasta looks so good. I really wish I had a bowl of it.

  14. I’ve never thought about describing spinach and kale like a baby…but like you I’d probably freak everyone out. This dish is right up my alley! I MUST make it immediately! And I have all the ingredients…weird, and awesome!

  15. Mo 'Betta says:

    Sounds delish! And a man who will eat whatever you put in front of him without complaint is a keeper 😉

  16. Saguna says:

    I DO feel like a totally murderous mother when I pluck up tomatoes or beans from the leafy plants I’ve carefully watered and cooed over all summer.

    It’s a satisfying feeling getting to inhale the fruits of your labour. And with a creamy veggie pesto like this I don’t think I would have any qualms either- I need to try this lovely looking dish!

  17. Danielle says:

    I love the idea of using the avocado for creaminess in this dish

  18. I LOVE the combination of pesto and roasted tomatoes – so good! I’ve made a spinach pesto before that I wasn’t crazy about because it was so spinachy (even though I like spinach), but I think it was mostly just made of spinach – I think adding yogurt and avocado to make it creamier and add a different flavour would be much better!

  19. Mmm I just made a big batch of spinach arugula pesto yesterday – but mine sadly did not have avocado. That would add big cream factor!

  20. Marcia says:

    You know I love my kale!!

  21. Simply Life says:

    what a great meal! I love how many healthy foods you have packed into this!

  22. So this sounds amazing, the boy is one lucky man!

  23. Karen says:

    Such pretty colors and sounds wonderful!

  24. Chris says:

    I could see you naming a kid Kale 😉

  25. Love the use of avocado in here to add creamy texture – yummy!

  26. Sam says:

    Oh this looks so good. I wish I could figure out a way to turn the collards in my fridge into this 😉

  27. Okay, so I’m a carnivore. But, you do have a way of turning me into a flexitarian with a dish like this. I love green leafy veggies. I love roasted tomatoes and pasta. This looks so comforting, and I’d have no problem inhaling this.

  28. Dining Alone says:

    Wow this looks so freaking good!!

  29. i love the idea of avocado and spinach in pesto form… and those roasted tomatoes along with it. oh deliciousness! the.boy’s mentality is kinda like DFJ’s, as long as it tastes good, he’ll eat it. boys!

  30. Jason isn’t much of a healthy eater but I’m sure he’d dive into this no problem!

  31. That Girl says:

    I feel the same way about dark leafy greens.

  32. Julie says:

    I need to try something with Kale. I’ve only had it once in a salad and it was way too green for me. Hope you’re having a great long weekend.

  33. “swaddling kale….” you are so funny, miss! Thanks for putting a smile on my face!!

  34. Shannon says:

    this sounds absolutely delicious! and i say go ahead and talk about them like your [future] firstborn, you’ll feed it to them anways 🙂 … cannabalism?

  35. Camila Faria says:

    Loooove spinach! This looks delicious!

  36. Love this Joanne – looks amazing! I love everything about Kale and Spinach so I totally get it 😉

  37. Raina says:

    Yum! This looks great. That is one lucky guy with you feeding him healthy and delicious dishes like this:)

  38. sounds awesome! by the way, i made your sweet potato chile mac tonight. it was fantastic!!

  39. Hannah says:

    I see what you mean about your affection for the leafy greens- This sauce looks like it’s made of pure love (and deliciousness.) It really does sound perfect for me, especially since I have some coconut greek yogurt in the fridge right now!

  40. Hotly Spiced says:

    That’s a beautiful looking pasta Joanne and I love how the creaminess comes from avocado and not dairy (okay, so there’s a little yoghurt in there). And the cherry tomatoes would be a great contrast to the creaminess. Looks delicious xx

  41. Eileen says:

    GREEEEEENNS. This looks so fresh and delicious! Now I really wish I had an avocado in the house–it’s almost dinnertime, and I have every single other ingredient for this. Well, ok, I have spinach instead of kale, but spinach is still a green. 🙂

  42. Candace says:

    What a beautiful bowl of pasta! Coincidentally, I have cherry tomatoes roasting in my little toaster oven right now. Maybe this will be dinner for tomorrow?! It would make me feel better about the carrot cake ice cream that I shall be having just as soon as it’s ready. I already gave it a taste test by licking the beater clean. O.my! It’s amazing! BTW…the boy is definitely a keeper. 🙂

  43. elly says:

    You crack me up. 🙂 You are now the third blogger I follow to make this recipe and you are all awesome, which means I need to make it ASAP. Looks fantastic. And nothing tops roasted tomatoes!

  44. Such a great idea to use up bunches of spinach! And it looks so good. It’s not at all weird that you talk lovingly about your veggies…you wouldn’t be a food blogger if you didnt! (well at least a healthy one) 🙂

  45. Deborah says:

    Did you say spinach avocado pesto? I am so in love with this!!

  46. tigerfish says:

    I hardly fancy cream sauce in spaghetti ( as I am 100% tomato-based pasta sauce) but this might be an exception – as it looks so creamy greenish good! The creamy spinach reminds me of saag!

  47. london bakes says:

    I love the way you write about the boy and your relationship, it’s so real and so refreshing to read. I also love the way you write about kale and pasta too. Want this so much!

  48. Kari says:

    I made a similar-ish dinner to this the other week but love the idea of including yoghurt (I used tofu instead of ricotta but yoghurt appeals more!).

  49. beti says:

    bookmarked! so simple and it looks delicious

  50. Guru Uru says:

    This spinach spaghetti looks incredible my friend 😀

    Cheers
    CCU

  51. grace says:

    most people certainly don’t feel about leafy greens as you do, joanne, but that’s okay. your enthusiasm is contagious. 🙂

  52. Tandy says:

    sounds delicious! I could eat a bowlful right now 🙂

  53. Tammy says:

    Mmmmmm….there is nothing I enjoy more than a creamy bowl of spaghetti!! 😀 Parmesan cheese and greek yogurt is a delicious combo! I can’t imagine how good this must be. I hope you have a lovely holiday weekend!

    Toodles,
    Tammy<3

  54. This looks so delicious- after being in the woods for over a week it is so GREAT to be back with kale and spinach! I like that The.Boy stands by his opinion of kale and spinach and then eats every bite of it. Complain on, the.boy, so long as you keep eatin!

  55. Kristina says:

    pinned! This looks incredible! Need to sub out the yogurt and parm for some dairy-free options, but definitely trying a variation of this, looks so good!

  56. Katie says:

    This looks and sounds fabulous. You crack me up… I like to swaddle my veggies every now and then. It’s normal, right?

  57. I assumed from seeing the picture that this dish had a lot of cream in it…clever use of the avocado and yogurt!

  58. Pam says:

    It looks like heaven in a bowl. YUM!

  59. Jenna says:

    Your green creamy sauce looks divine! Yum, yum, yum.

  60. You always make a naughty pata dish so damn healthy! And for that, you will eternally have my heart

  61. Roz says:

    Now I know how to get more spinach in my nutrition besides salads, smoothies, and frittatas! What a fabulous sauce! Thanks so much for sharing and for always giving me such enjoyment just looking at your photography!

  62. Natalie says:

    i’m a total kale pusher around these parts–i’m proud to say i’ve converted a few souls!

  63. Johanna GGG says:

    so would I be right in guessing that the boy is eating more vegies now than he ever has before? I think he sounds great if he will eat everything you try because I have people close to me who just wont try anything they haven’t eaten 50 times before! sigh! and they really should try something new like this pasta 🙂

  64. Reeni Pisano says:

    This is a bowl of healthy comfort! I am in love with the creamy green sauce and the buttery avocado. How could he NOT love this?

  65. Creamy greens with parm and avocado. Of course he liked it. It looks delicious. But then again I love my leafy greens too so I might be bias 🙂

  66. Kerstin says:

    This is such a lovely and tasty way to get your spinach in 🙂 Yay for pasta!

  67. I’m visiting from Charlie Louie’s blog and this pasta dish looks amazing. I’m definitely going to try it…happen to have cherry tomatoes, spinach and yogurt on hand right now. Great to discover your blog.

  68. I love the color of this sauce, and the avocado is a perfect addition. I think I might make this for dinner tonight!

  69. Simona says:

    Educating a palate takes a bit of time and patience. I like your use of avocado here and of tomatoes of course. Let’s eat more of them as long as they are in season. Thank you so much for your contribution to Presto Pasta Nights.

  70. Kalyn Denny says:

    Oh my, this sounds like a brilliant combination!

  71. Bergamot says:

    This pasta looks really inspirational. Love the colors of the pasta.

  72. I love the colors in this dish. I feel like I can taste it just by looking at your pictures.

  73. Oh, this looks very good and very, very, healthy! I’m thinking leftovers for lunch at work the next day. . .

  74. Anonymous says:

    I used spaghetti squash instead of the pasta to make this recipe gluten free and it was so good! Really enjoyed your post.

  75. I’m a big spinach enthusiast, this looks delicious! I love how spinach just makes everything seem ten times healthier.

  76. Ashley says:

    This looks fabulous! I love tomatoes and carbs…er…pasta…and greens. Yum!

  77. the site brought the exact meaning of the nature in my mind! helpful

  78. […] year ago…Creamy Spinach Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes, Peanut Butter and Honey Ice […]

  79. Lyndsee says:

    I’ve made this twice now and it’s AMAZING. I think that was the last of the tomatoes for the summer, but I’ll definitely be making this again once tomatoes are back in season.

  80. […] three: I am going to try this Creamy Spinach Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes  recipe. Great way to incorporate this weeks spinach and avocado. I am going to use my favorite […]

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  82. Amanda says:

    how much spinach would be considered a pound? I planted it for the first time this year and was looking for creative ways to use it. I love the sound of this pasta, but since the spinach is fresh picked I’m not sure how to measure it. help!

    • joanne says:

      So exciting that you’re growing spinach in your garden!! I am quite jealous as I am totally garden-less.

      I believe 1 lb of raw spinach is approximately 6 cups. For that recipe, the amount doesn’t have to be exact. As long as it’s in the right ballpark it will taste great, so don’t go too crazy trying to figure it out! Hope that helps!

  83. dawn says:

    That addition of the avocado… that is spectacular as far as adding good fat to this dish.. I love that

  84. Paricia says:

    I am a vegetarian and am always looking for a good vegetarian sauce to make for myself while I am making the usual meat sauce for the rest of the family. I tried this over the weekend and I have to say this is the best vegetarian spaghetti sauce I have ever tried! It was absolutely delicious. My husband even took some of the roasted tomatoes and added to his meat sauce. I will definitely be making this one again.

  85. June says:

    This is one of my weeknight go-to’s – super quick, healthy, and most importantly really tasty! I don’t have a stick blender so after wilting the spinach with the onions & garlic I transfer to my food processor with the avocado, yogurt, basil, parm, pasta water, and an extra clove of garlic and just blitz it until it’s smooth. For us this is enough sauce for a whole pound of spaghetti – we just add some extra tomatoes and have great leftovers for another night.

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