This easy and creamy peanut butter pasta is a quick and delicious meal that’s perfect for any night. With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up this rich, flavorful dish in no time. A fantastic recipe by Nigella Lawson, it’s a flexible dish that you can easily adapt to what you have at home!
Ingredients Needed:
- 240 g baby spinach
- 1 Tbsp. fine salt, plus 1⁄4tsp for the sauce
- 320 g spaghetti
- 75 g smooth peanut butter
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. chopped dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. chilli flakes
- Juice 1/2 lemon, plus wedges to serve
- 1 large pinch of paprika, for dusting (optional)
How To Make Peanut Butter Pasta Recipe?
- Prepare the Spinach: Fill a large pan with 2.5L / 10 cups of water from a recently boiled kettle. Put the pan back on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Place a large colander in the sink and pour the baby spinach into it.
- Cook the Pasta: Once the water is boiling, add 1 tbsp salt to the pan, which will make the water bubble up. Stir the water and let it come back to a boil. Add the pasta and stir with a pasta fork to help it submerge. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often to keep the pasta from sticking. After 2 minutes, take the pan off the heat, cover it with a tea towel, and place a lid on top. Let it sit for 8 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Reserve Pasta Water: After 8 minutes, remove the lid and tea towel. Stir the pasta and scoop out 500ml / 2 cups of the starchy cooking water into a jug. Drain the pasta into the spinach-filled colander to wilt the spinach. Set the colander aside.
- Make the Peanut Butter Sauce: In the same pan, spoon the peanut butter into the warm pan. Add 125ml / 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir well. It may look clumpy at first, but keep stirring. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, chili flakes, 2 tsp lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until a smooth, creamy sauce forms. Gradually stir in another 125ml / 1/2 cup of the pasta water, continuing to mix until smooth.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta and spinach to the pan with the peanut butter sauce. Stir and toss the ingredients together using two forks until everything is evenly mixed. Keep adding the reserved pasta water a little at a time to help the sauce coat the pasta. You might need to add 50ml / 1/4 cup more water, or all of it, depending on how much the pasta absorbs.
- Serve: Taste the pasta and adjust the seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if needed. Plate the pasta, making sure to get an even amount of spinach in each serving. Optionally, sprinkle paprika over the top and serve with lemon wedges for extra freshness.
Recipe Tips:
- Use Warm Pasta Water for the Sauce: The starchy, warm pasta water helps make a smooth, creamy sauce when mixed with peanut butter. Cold water can make it clumpy, so only use warm water from the pasta pot.
- Stir the Pasta Constantly in the Beginning: When you first add the pasta, stir it frequently. This prevents it from sticking and helps it cook evenly, especially since it will finish cooking off the heat.
- Cover Pasta Properly for Perfect Texture: After boiling for 2 minutes, cover the pot with a tea towel and lid. This traps steam and lets the pasta cook gently, giving it a nice texture without boiling it too long.
- Adjust Sauce Consistency with Reserved Water: Add pasta water a little at a time while mixing the sauce with pasta. This way, you can control the thickness and ensure the pasta is coated just right.
- Taste and Balance the Seasoning :Before serving, taste the pasta to check for seasoning. Add a touch more lemon juice for freshness or a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors if needed.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: First, let the leftover peanut butter pasta cool completely to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Transfer the pasta to a microwave-safe dish, cover loosely, and heat on medium power for 1-2 minutes. Stir halfway through and add a small splash of water if the sauce looks too thick.
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 199kcal
- Total Fat: 7.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 338.7 mg
- Potassium: 117.8 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 30.1 g
- Dietary Fiber: 3.1 g
- Sugars: 11.7 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
Try More Nigella Lawson Recipes:
Nigella Peanut Butter Pasta Recipe
Description
This easy and creamy peanut butter pasta is a quick and delicious meal that’s perfect for any night. With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up this rich, flavorful dish in no time. A fantastic recipe by Nigella Lawson, it’s a flexible dish that you can easily adapt to what you have at home!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the Spinach: Fill a large pan with 2.5L / 10 cups of water from a recently boiled kettle. Put the pan back on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Place a large colander in the sink and pour the baby spinach into it.
- Cook the Pasta: Once the water is boiling, add 1 tbsp salt to the pan, which will make the water bubble up. Stir the water and let it come back to a boil. Add the pasta and stir with a pasta fork to help it submerge. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often to keep the pasta from sticking. After 2 minutes, take the pan off the heat, cover it with a tea towel, and place a lid on top. Let it sit for 8 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Reserve Pasta Water: After 8 minutes, remove the lid and tea towel. Stir the pasta and scoop out 500ml / 2 cups of the starchy cooking water into a jug. Drain the pasta into the spinach-filled colander to wilt the spinach. Set the colander aside.
- Make the Peanut Butter Sauce: In the same pan, spoon the peanut butter into the warm pan. Add 125ml / 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir well. It may look clumpy at first, but keep stirring. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, chili flakes, 2 tsp lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until a smooth, creamy sauce forms. Gradually stir in another 125ml / 1/2 cup of the pasta water, continuing to mix until smooth.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta and spinach to the pan with the peanut butter sauce. Stir and toss the ingredients together using two forks until everything is evenly mixed. Keep adding the reserved pasta water a little at a time to help the sauce coat the pasta. You might need to add 50ml / 1/4 cup more water, or all of it, depending on how much the pasta absorbs.
- Serve: Taste the pasta and adjust the seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if needed. Plate the pasta, making sure to get an even amount of spinach in each serving. Optionally, sprinkle paprika over the top and serve with lemon wedges for extra freshness.
Notes
- Use Warm Pasta Water for the Sauce: The starchy, warm pasta water helps make a smooth, creamy sauce when mixed with peanut butter. Cold water can make it clumpy, so only use warm water from the pasta pot.
- Stir the Pasta Constantly in the Beginning: When you first add the pasta, stir it frequently. This prevents it from sticking and helps it cook evenly, especially since it will finish cooking off the heat.
- Cover Pasta Properly for Perfect Texture: After boiling for 2 minutes, cover the pot with a tea towel and lid. This traps steam and lets the pasta cook gently, giving it a nice texture without boiling it too long.
- Adjust Sauce Consistency with Reserved Water: Add pasta water a little at a time while mixing the sauce with pasta. This way, you can control the thickness and ensure the pasta is coated just right.
- Taste and Balance the Seasoning :Before serving, taste the pasta to check for seasoning. Add a touch more lemon juice for freshness or a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors if needed.