Pasta With Spinach, Feta and Yogurt
Published Oct. 16, 2024
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 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
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
- Step 1
Take the yogurt and feta out of the fridge so they can come up to room temperature while the pasta water boils.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Private Notes
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.
I was skeptical about this dish after seeing multiple reviews about blandness. It was great with 1/2 lb of pasta and the other ingredients as listed. Using sheep feta and 2% Greek yogurt added plenty of flavor and kept the dish surprisingly light. Would be great as a cold pasta salad.
Made this for a 3 generations family dinner and loved by all BUT will definitely use fresh spinach next time. Frozen has an unpleasant texture. Do not be shy with the lemon juice.
I’d have to agree with the people who thought this was bland. I made it according to the recipe except for adding some Kalamata olives. After tasting it, I added more salt and more red pepper flakes. It still tasted very bland. I won’t make it again.