Easy Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta

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When it comes to delicious budget meals I’m a pro. During the bad financial periods in my life I had to learn how to cook cheap meals. That’s where this Easy Cream Tomato And Spinach Pasta came from.

It’s super easy to prepare and cheap. It’s one of those meals where no matter what I usually always have the ingredients on hand. If I’m missing something, it’s just one or two items and they are cheap enough to pick up or even leave out.

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

I always keep crushed tomatoes and tomato paste on hand in the house. When it goes on sale I pick up extras. Keeping these two items in house means you can make a delicious sauce, chili, or a vegetable soup easily and on the cheap.

The thing that really makes this dish creamy is the cream cheese that gets added. However, I have made this without cream cheese and it’s turned out to be just as fantastic.

If your sauce ends up being on the thicker side add a ¼ cup of water to thin it out. You can leave the spinach out too if your family isn’t big on spinach or you don’t have any on hand.

You can add meat or sausage to the sauce just fine too if you want. However, for budget purposes I like saving my meats for different meals where they are the spotlight of the dish. Additionally, if you are trying to add more vegetarian meals to your diet, this meal is great for that.

I love how versatile this meal really is.

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta Recipe

This recipe is so easy and budget friendly I’m positive you’ll add it to your monthly meal plan.

Ingredients

• 1 Box Thin Spaghetti
• ½ Onion Diced
• 1 16oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
• ½ 4oz Can Tomato Paste
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• ½ Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ Bag of Spinach about 2 Cups
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• Pepper
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• Shredded or Grated Parmesan For Garnish

Directions

• 1. Start a pot of water to boil for the pasta.
  2. Add a splash of olive oil to a hot frying pan and add the onion, cook until fragrant and slightly translucent. Add all spices and cook a few more minutes.
  3. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.
  4. Cook on medium high heat until the sauce is bubbling. Then add cream cheese in cubes. Mix until cream cheese is melted throughout.
  5. Add mozzarella cheese to the sauce and mix until melted. Turn heat to low and add spinach. Let the sauce simmer until the spinach is cooked and the pasta is finished.
  6. When pasta is finished cooking drain and add to the sauce and toss or mix to coat the pasta.
  7. Serve with parmesan for garnish.

Vegetarian Spinach Pasta Recipe

Adding vegetarian meals a couple times a week to your meal plan is not just healthier for your family it is actually cheaper. As meat becomes more and more expensive these days we often opt to go vegetarian or even vegan for our meals.

I spent about 6 months following a vegan diet and for the most part I loved it. I learned how to cook, budget, and live on a vegan diet. Now that meat and dairy are back in our diet it lasts a lot longer in our house because we aren’t eating as much of it.

We also feel healthier now that we’ve started incorporating more vegetarian and vegan options into our diet. I highly recommend adding more vegetarian options to your own regular meal planning too.

Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments below. Follow me on Pinterest for more like this and pin this to your favorite food boards.

Related Posts:

• Instant Pot Cheesy & Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• How To Go Vegan On A Budget
• Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
• Instant Pot Spaghetti With Meat Sauce

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