Spinach & Feta Pasta
Five ingredients, twenty minutes, about $1.62 a serving — and it is the kind of pasta that tastes deliberate rather than thrown together. Garlic softens in olive oil, a whole bag of spinach wilts down to almost nothing, and crumbled feta stirred through the hot pasta melts into a light sauce along with a splash of the starchy pasta water. No cream, no jarred sauce, and nothing that needs measuring carefully. It is a good dinner for a meatless night, easy to halve for one or two people, and a rescue for the last week of the grocery budget. Finish with lemon and plenty of black pepper.
20 min
4
$6.49
$1.62
Ingredients
Estimated Aldi prices for the amount this dinner uses, based on regular shelf prices and the current weekly ad.
Steps
- 1Cook the penne to al dente in salted boiling water, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- 2Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 3Add the spinach by the handful and toss until wilted, about 2 minutes.
- 4Add the drained pasta to the skillet with a splash of pasta water and toss to coat.
- 5Crumble the feta over the pasta and stir through until creamy.
- 6Finish with a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper to taste; serve immediately.
Tips & swaps
- Ricotta or goat cheese can replace the feta, though both are milder.
- Cherry tomatoes halved into the skillet with the garlic add sweetness.
- Frozen spinach works; squeeze it dry and add it with the pasta.
- A drained can of chickpeas adds protein without changing the flavor much.
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Put Spinach & Feta Pasta into your week
Add it to a plan built around this week's Aldi deals, or browse all 50 cheap dinner ideas and pick the rest of the week yourself.
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