Four Cheese Spinach Pasta garnished with parmesan cheese in a round white bowl with a white and blue towel behind all on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

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.

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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.

Four Cheese Spinach Pasta Step by Step

Ingredients

Ingredients for four cheese spinach pasta in stainless steel bowls on a white wooden surface

Preparation

Prepare the 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.

Wilted spinach with garlic in a saucepan on a white wooden surface

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

Melted cheese with wilted spinach in a saucepan on a white wooden surface

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.

Cooked quinoa with spinach and melted cheese in a saucepan on a white wooden surface

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

Four Cheese Spinach Pasta garnished with parmesan cheese in a round white bowl with a white and blue towel behind all on a wooden surface (vertical)

Four Cheese Spinach Pasta Leftovers

We were able to place the leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat it the next day. I placed it back in a saucepan over medium heat. It took about 8-10 minutes of stirring often until it was heated through. If it’s a bit dry, you can add a splash of milk while it’s heating to make it creamy again.

Recipe

Originally Published On: December 18, 2020

Last Updated On: July 31, 2023

Four Cheese Spinach Pasta garnished with parmesan cheese in a round white bowl with a white and blue towel behind all on a wooden surface

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
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 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)

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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24 thoughts on “Four Cheese Spinach Pasta”

  1. I love cheesy pasta dishes, but I don’t think I’ve ever used cream cheese in a pasta recipe! I’ll have to try it out.

  2. Truly amazing! The instructions are easy to follow and the ingredients are delicious, this would be a perfect recipe to share with my family!

  3. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness I am so making this yummy recipe! I love the texture of this dish and the amazing flavors! Definitley pinning this one and making this weekend so thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was soooo good! I love spinach and pasta, so this was a match made in heaven! Keeper of a recipe!

  5. This looks good. I love cheese but I’m not a big fan of the texture of spinach. I’ll share this with my fiancé who loves everything!

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