Description
Made with fresh tomatoes, milk, and neufchatel cheese. This fresh tomato cream sauce is tossed with hot penne for an easy, light, and meatless meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 8 oz. dry penne pasta or other small-shaped pasta of choice
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. ripe Roma (plum) or beefsteak tomatoes, cored and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil or 2 tsp. fresh basil
- 1-2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk, plus more as needed
- 2 oz. Neufchâtel cheese (1/3-less-fat cream cheese) or regular full-fat cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 3 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, and dried basil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices.
- Sprinkle the flour over the tomato mixture. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the flour is fully incorporated and no dry streaks remain.
- Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly until incorporated. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has slightly thickened and lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the Neufchâtel and Parmesan and stir until the cheeses are completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the spinach and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, or just until wilted.
- Add the drained penne to the sauce and toss until evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water 1-2 tablespoons at a time until it reaches a creamy consistency and coats the pasta well. Cook over low heat for about 1 minute, tossing frequently.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Tomato and Sauce Note: Fresh tomatoes vary in how much liquid they release as they cook. Use ripe but firm tomatoes for the best texture, and don’t drain or seed them as their juices help form the sauce. The sauce should be creamy and slightly loose before you add the pasta, as it will thicken once combined. If it becomes too thick, stir in reserved pasta cooking water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Milk: Whole milk or 2% milk works the best. I wouldn’t use anything lower in fat than that.
- Cream Cheese: Neufchatel cheese is basically lower fat cream cheese. Regular cream cheese can be substituted. Just make sure it’s the brick kind and not the spreadable one.
- Spinach: I’ve never made this dish with frozen spinach but I would imagine it will work. Just make sure to thaw out the spinach completely and squeeze out as much moisture as you can before adding to the sauce.
- Parsley: If parsley is not your thing, add fresh basil instead.
- Pasta: Any type of pasta works here. Just remember to reserve some of that pasta water to thin out the sauce.
- Leftovers: Leftovers will keep refrigerated up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat over medium-low heat with a splash of some type of liquid, such as milk, cream, chicken broth, or even white wine.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 397
- Sugar: 8.6 g
- Sodium: 163.4 mg
- Fat: 13.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 16.5 mg