Pasta With Spinach, Feta and Yogurt

Published Oct. 16, 2024

Pasta With Spinach, Feta and Yogurt
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(1,449)
Comments
Read comments

In this speedy, verdant dish, pasta is coated with a tangy feta-yogurt sauce that’s garlicky, creamy and bracing from a dash of red-pepper flakes and some grated lemon zest. Frozen spinach adds just enough in the way of vegetables to make this qualify as a one-pot meal, and it truly needs nothing more to make for a satisfying and very easy dinner.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 serving
  • 1cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably whole milk
  • 8ounces feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)
  • Fine sea salt, as needed
  • 1pound short pasta, such as rigatoni, shells or campanelle
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • ¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
  • 1(10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 1cup freshly chopped mint, basil or cilantro, or a combination, for serving (optional)
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

435 calories; 13 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 64 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 519 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Take the yogurt and feta out of the fridge so they can come up to room temperature while the pasta water boils.

  2. Step 2

    Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain and set pasta aside.

  3. Step 3

    Add olive oil to the pasta pot and set it over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until the edges are just golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Lower the heat and add the drained pasta. Add spinach, tossing to combine and warm it through.

  4. Step 4

    Gently stir in the yogurt, crumbled feta, herbs (if using), lemon zest and juice of ½ lemon. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Taste and add more salt, red-pepper flakes, and lemon juice as needed. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,449 user ratings
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Comments

To use fresh spinach, add coarsely chopped spinach to pan before adding pasta. Sauté spinach in oil and garlic for 2 minutes or so. Then add pasta and remaining ingredients.

A quick sauté of an 8 oz. bag of spinach in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil worked well for half the recipe. Just let any excess liquid evaporate. Left the spinach in the skillet & made the rest of the sauce there, rather than in the pasta pot, using slightly less additional olive oil than the recipe called for.

I've been making a version of this for years. If I'm out of feta (usually a staple for me) Greek yogurt is jazzed up with dill, oregano and a few capers (for the missing briny element). Sometimes I'll add mint or sub it for one of the other herbs to still keep it in the vaguely Greek style. A grated tomato or cucumber is a nice cool topping.

This was very good. And we almost always have these ingredients on hand so it’s easy. It’s a good base I like vegees so here are my adds: I added more spinach(used fresh) and also added a cup and a half of cherry tomatoes that I baked/lightly roasted at 400 for 35-40 minutes until they split. Like another person mentioned I ended up adding a chicken breast cut up (cooked sous vide) to the pasta which was originally going to be the center of the plate. Very good

Made this even without a lemon (! next time) and served with sauteed chicken. Makes much more than I normally cook on weeknights but no worries: it's all devoured!

Extremely creamy and yogurt-y. If you look at the recipe and think "that looks too creamy", it will be way, way too creamy.

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