Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 350 g dried penne pasta
- 10 g fine sea salt
Sauce Aromatics
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 3 g dried oregano
- 1 g red pepper flakes
Sauce Body
- 400 g crushed tomatoes
- 120 ml heavy cream, room temperature
Finishing Ingredients
- 100 g baby spinach, washed and dried
- 100 g feta cheese, crumbled
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 434 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 34 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 380 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 36 mg
- Potassium
- 495 mg
- Calcium
- 248 mg
- Iron
- 3.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 51 mg
- Phosphorus
- 162 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 736 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 34 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 17 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.22 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.20 mg
- Niacin
- 1.6 mg
- Folate
- 48 mcg
- Water
- 155 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil at approximately 100 Celsius or 212 Fahrenheit. Add the sea salt and the penne pasta. Cook according to package instructions until al dente, usually about 10 minutes. Reserve 120ml of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta in a colander.
While the pasta is boiling, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced yellow onion and saute for 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
Stir the minced garlic, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes into the onions. Cook for 1 minute until highly fragrant, stirring continuously to prevent the garlic from burning.
Pour the crushed tomatoes into the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer gently at around 90 Celsius or 195 Fahrenheit for 5 minutes to meld the flavors together and slightly reduce.
Remove the skillet from direct heat to prevent curdling. Stir in the heavy cream until the sauce turns a uniform light pink. Add the baby spinach, folding it into the residual heat of the sauce for about 2 minutes until it completely wilts.
Add the drained penne to the skillet. Toss the pasta vigorously with the creamy tomato spinach sauce until every piece is coated. If the sauce feels too thick, splash in the reserved pasta water in small increments until you reach a glossy, clinging consistency.
Gently fold the crumbled feta cheese into the pasta, leaving some large chunks intact for textural contrast. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Reserving starchy pasta water is the secret to a cohesive sauce. The starches help emulsify the oil, tomato, and dairy components into a silky coating rather than a watery puddle.
- For the best texture, purchase a block of feta in brine and crumble it yourself. Pre-crumbled feta is coated in anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting nicely into the ambient heat of the pasta.
- If you want to boost the Mediterranean flavor profile, a small handful of pitted kalamata olives or a tablespoon of capers tossed in during the assembly phase works wonders.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
Troubleshooting
Cream sauce splits or appears grainy
Cause: The cream was added while the pan was too hot or the sauce was actively boiling
Fix: Vigorously whisk in a splash of warm reserved pasta water off the heat to help re-emulsify the sauce.
Prevention: Always lower the heat and optionally remove the pan from the burner entirely before stirring in heavy cream.
Dish is too salty
Cause: Feta cheese is naturally highly salted; if additional salt was added to the sauce beforehand, it can overpower the dish.
Fix: Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top or stir in a small amount of extra heavy cream to dilute the sodium.
Prevention: Wait to taste and adjust the final seasoning of the sauce only after the feta has been added.
Cultural Context
While this creamy pasta heavily leans on Mediterranean flavor combinations specifically the beloved Greek pairing of feta and spinach reminiscent of spanakopita, it is structurally a modern fusion dish. It marries the robust Italian tradition of tomato-based pasta sauces with the rich, tangy dairy elements celebrated across the broader Mediterranean coastline.
