As promised by the intro to Dinner: Changing the Game, this stovetop fusilli with spinach comes together in no time, especially if the first thing you do when you walk in the door is start heating the water for the pasta.
I'm not really sure why, but my expectation for this recipe was something like mac and cheese. That's not what this is. Melissa Clark's stovetop fusilli with spinach is not overly cheesy or laden with a heavy cream sauce; we aren't making a bechamel sauce here. Instead, we're making a quick and easy meal of pasta and veggies in a thin coating of cheesy cream sauce.
Gruyère is a phenomenal melting cheese, and a little of it packs a tremendous amount of flavor, so you're getting that richness without all the butter, flour, cream, whole milk, and pound of cheese that you'll find in a traditional mac and cheese.
I love mushrooms, so I opted to add some sautéed shiitake mushrooms to my leftovers of this. For a meat lover, this would be quite good with cooked, sliced Italian sausage (sweet or spicy), some cooked chicken (from a roasted chicken), or some sautéed ground turkey (which you could saute while the pasta cooks and the cream-cheese sauce comes together).
For an easy weeknight dinner, I thought this was pretty good, especially with a few additions. It's not going to wow anyone, but the effort-to-taste ratio is spot on. It's light enough for warm nights, filling enough for any time of year, and satisfies a craving for comfort food without too much effort nor too many calories.
Slightly adapted from Dinner: Changing the Game
Stovetop Fusilli with Spinach, Peas, and Gruyere
Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided, plus more as needed
- 16 ounces (1 pound) whole-wheat, chickpea, or regular fusilli
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen peas
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 9 ounces Gruyere cheese* grated (2 ¼ cups)
- 10 ounces (10 cups, loosely packed) baby spinach* coarsely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 6-8 twists)
- optional: ½ teaspoon chile flakes plus more to taste
- optional: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from ½ lemon
Instructions
- Heavily salt a large pot of water (using about 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt), then bring to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until pasta is al dente, about 1 minute less than the minimum given on the package. If using fresh peas, stir them into the pot 3 minutes before the pasta is done. If using frozen peas, add them to the pot 1 minute before the pasta is done.
- Reserve ½ cup of the pasta-cooking liquid in a measuring glass, then pour off the remainder, leaving the pasta and peas in a colander to drain.
- Return the empty pot to the stovetop and place over medium-high heat. Pour in the heavy cream and cook until it bubbles, thickens, and is reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the cheese until it melts into the reduced cream, then stir in the chopped baby spinach to wilt. Add the ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, garam masala, freshly ground black pepper, and chile flakes (if using). Add in the drained pasta and peas, stir to cover with the cheese sauce. If you need a little more liquid, add some of the reserved pasta water. Stir in the lemon juice for a little acid punch to brighten up the flavors, taste, and adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes. Serve immediately.
Just made this from the book.... the sauce was “clumpy” and didn’t mix well with the pasta... not sure what I did wrong.