Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 400 g penne pasta
- 15 g kosher salt
Creamy Tomato Sauce
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 400 g crushed tomatoes, canned
- 120 ml heavy cream, room temperature
- 3 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 g red pepper flakes
Finishing Ingredients
- 150 g baby spinach, fresh, 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
- 639 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbohydrates
- 91 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 2283 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 56 mg
- Potassium
- 881 mg
- Calcium
- 256 mg
- Iron
- 6.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 115 mg
- Phosphorus
- 358 mg
- Zinc
- 2.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 358 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 25 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 186 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.99 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.76 mg
- Niacin
- 7.8 mg
- Folate
- 327 mcg
- Water
- 111 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the penne and cook according to package directions, about 10 minutes, until al dente. Reserve about 60ml of the starchy pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta using a colander.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and saute for 4 minutes until softened and translucent, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until highly aromatic.
Pour the crushed tomatoes into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. This passive simmering allows the sharp acidity of the tomatoes to mellow and blend with the aromatics.
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat to prevent dairy separation. Gently stir in the heavy cream, fresh baby spinach, salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Continue mixing until the spinach thoroughly wilts into the warm sauce.
Add the hot, drained penne to the skillet and toss vigorously to coat the pasta in the sauce. If the mixture appears too thick, add the reserved pasta water a few milliliters at a time until a glossy consistency is achieved. Fold in half of the crumbled feta, transfer to warm plates, and garnish with the remaining feta.
Chef's Notes
- Reserving starchy pasta water is the secret to a cohesive, restaurant-quality sauce. The starches act as a binder, encouraging the oil, dairy, and tomatoes to form a stable emulsion rather than a slippery glaze.
- For the best texture and flavor, purchase block feta packaged in brine rather than pre-crumbled varieties. Pre-crumbled feta is coated in anti-caking agents that prevent it from softening luxuriously into the warm pasta.
- Strict vegetarians should verify their feta cheese is produced using microbial or vegetable rennet, as traditional European feta often utilizes animal-derived rennet.
- To elevate the aromatic profile, stir in a handful of roughly torn fresh basil leaves alongside the baby spinach at the very end of cooking.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The sauce may thicken significantly as it chills.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce, stirring constantly until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
The sauce breaks or becomes grainy when the cream is added
Cause: The cream was too cold, or the skillet was too hot, causing the dairy proteins to curdle when encountering the acidic tomatoes.
Fix: Vigorously whisk in a small splash of the reserved hot starchy pasta water off the heat to encourage re-emulsification.
Prevention: Allow cream to reach room temperature before use, and always remove the skillet from the heat entirely before stirring the cream into the tomatoes.
The dish is overly salty
Cause: Feta cheese is naturally brined and highly seasoned, compounding with the kosher salt added to the sauce.
Fix: Stir in a splash of plain heavy cream or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to dilute and balance the excess sodium.
Prevention: Taste the sauce before adding the final pinch of salt, factoring in the saltiness of the feta that will be added at the end.
Cultural Context
While feta cheese is deeply rooted in Greek culinary traditions and penne originates from Italy, this dish represents a modern, pan-Mediterranean fusion approach to quick home cooking. It borrows the classic Italian architecture of a pink 'rosa' sauce, balancing its inherent richness by introducing the sharp, lactic tang of briny feta.
