Four Cheese Spinach Pasta Recipe with Quinoa

Four Cheese Spinach Pasta is a great option for a quick dinner and a way to add a lot of flavor to a batch of quinoa.

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As a lot of our recipes do, this pasta dish came from having a lot of leftovers. About once per month, we do a “pantry week” to prevent foods from going bad. Especially in the midst of the COVID pandemic, we were limiting how much we went out.

Another thing we’ve been doing lately is experimenting with different types of cheese. The fontina cheese used in this meal was leftover from making Five Cheese Pull-Apart Bread.

Your four cheeses in this recipe are:

• Fontina Cheese
• Ricotta Cheese
• Cream Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese

The ricotta and cream cheese help make the dish creamy. The fontina cheese is also soft and adds a delicious earthy taste to the dish. Then parmesan cheese is a great garnish at the end to add a bit of that nutty flavor it’s known for.

Serving Suggestions & Tips

• Serve with a side of fresh bread cut into bite-sized pieces, marinara sauce, or roasted vegetables. 
• Substitute or add your favorite cheeses to the meal. Other suggested cheeses include Romano cheese, Asiago cheeses, Mozzarella cheese, and cottage cheese.
• It may help to tear or chop the spinach. Chopped spinach will wilt quicker and mix into the pasta more easily. 
• Add some vegetables to the meal for more nutrition such as artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped greens, or minced garlic.
• Garnish the dish with a sprinkle of black pepper, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, or a little bit of extra cheese. 
• For a more creamy sauce, add about half of a cup of heavy cream with the cream cheese. 
• While we made this with quinoa, you can use other pasta varieties such as penne pasta. Just make sure to save some of the pasta water. 

Four Cheese Spinach Pasta Step by Step

Ingredients

• 8 oz tri-color quinoa
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 10 oz fresh spinach leaves
• 1 tbsp garlic (dried, minced)
• 2 oz fontina cheese (shredded)
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)

Preparation

Prepare the quinoa in a medium saucepan according to the package until al dente, omitting any salt. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta boiling water when draining the quinoa.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the oil, spinach, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for about 3-5 minutes, until the spinach wilts.

Add the fontina cheese, ricotta cheese, and cream cheese to the spinach mixture. Stir constantly to prevent scalding until the cheese has melted, about 1-2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the quinoa to the spinach-cheese mixture. Add the salt, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Stir to gently coat the pasta with the sauce.

Divide the pasta into 4 serving bowls and top with remaining parmesan cheese.

Four Cheese Spinach Pasta Leftovers

Storage: Let the leftover pasta cool to room temperature then place the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

Reheating: Place the leftovers in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until it is heated through. If it’s a bit dry, you can add a splash of milk or heavy cream while it’s heating to make it creamy again.

Recipe

Four Cheese Spinach Pasta

Four Cheese Spinach Pasta is a great option for a quick dinner and a way to add a lot of flavor to a batch of quinoa.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

quinoa pasta

|

spinach pasta

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Gluten-Free

|

Nut-Free

Servings: 4 cups

5 from 9 votes

Ingredients

• 8 oz tri-color quinoa
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 10 oz spinach
• 1 tbsp garlic (dried, minced)
• 2 oz fontina cheese (shredded)
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)

Recommended Equipment

• Saucepan – Medium
• Saucepan – Large

Instructions

• Prepare quinoa in a medium saucepan according to the package, omitting any salt
• Reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid when draining the quinoa
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the oil, spinach, and garlic
• Cook, stirring often, for about 3-5 minutes, until the spinach wilts
• Add the fontina cheese, ricotta cheese, and cream cheese
• Stir constantly to prevent scalding until the cheese has melted, about 1-2 minutes
• Remove from the heat and add the quinoa to the spinach cheese mixture
• Add the salt, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
• Stir to gently coat the pasta with the sauce
• Divide the pasta into 4 serving bowls and top with remaining parmesan cheese

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Nutrition Facts

Four Cheese Spinach Pasta

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 441 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 10g50%

Cholesterol 48mg16%

Sodium 567mg24%

Potassium 777mg22%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin A 7128IU143%

Vitamin C 21mg25%

Calcium 397mg40%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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