
Yields:
2 serving(s)
Prep Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Cal/Serv:
682
Looking to brighten up late summer weeknights? Make Brat summer pasta. Inspired by the bold beats of Charli XCX’s iconic brat album, this herbaceous, vibrant green pasta captures the essence of summer fun in a single bite. Read on for tips on how to make it.
The sauce:
This bright green pasta sauce couldn’t be simpler: Blanched spinach is whizzed up in a blender with basil, cream cheese, and Parmesan for a creamy, herbaceous sauce that coats the pasta perfectly. Avoid leaving the spinach in the boiling water for longer than 30 seconds—if it’s overcooked, it will turn darker, and your pasta sauce will lose its vibrancy. While traditional blanching requires shocking the cooked spinach in ice water, I found that in this case, simply running the spinach under cold water until it is cool works just as well.
Assembling the pasta:
Most pasta recipes require you to toss the cooked pasta in the sauce in a pan, tossing until the pasta and the sauce become emulsified and glossy; however, since cooking this sauce further spoils the brilliant green color, I recommend tossing the pasta with the sauce in a bowl off the heat. If you’re concerned about the pasta being too cold, you can reheat in a pan over low heat; just be aware that the color of the pasta might darken.
Storage:
As with most pastas, this pasta is best served fresh. If you happen to have leftovers, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.
Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Ingredients
Kosher salt
- 8 oz.
short pasta, such as fusilli
- 2 cups
spinach (about 2 oz.)
- 2
cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 oz.
cream cheese, softened, cubed
- 1 oz.
Parmesan, finely grated (about 1/2 c.)
- 1 cup
fresh basil leaves (about 1 oz.)
- 1 Tbsp.
fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp.
freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step 1In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente according to package directions, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Step 2Using a spider or tongs, transfer pasta to a large bowl; reserve pasta water in pot. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to pasta and toss to coat.
- Step 3Return pasta water to a boil. Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and wilted, about 30 seconds.
- Step 4Transfer spinach to a colander. Run under cold water until cold to the touch. Using both hands, squeeze as much moisture as possible from spinach.
- Step 5Transfer spinach to a blender. Add garlic, cream cheese, Parmesan, basil, lemon juice, pepper, 1/4 c. cold water, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil. Blend on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. (If sauce is too thick to blend, add more water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until sauce is a thick, pourable consistency.) Season with salt.
- Step 6Transfer sauce to bowl with pasta and toss to coat. Top with more Parmesan.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below