Garlic Butter & Spinach Pasta

Easy roasted garlic butter and spinach sauce to go on top of your favorite pasta.

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Arrange the butter slices across the bottom of a small (2-cup) baking dish. Sprinkle with salt—¼ teaspoon if using salted butter, ½ teaspoon if unsalted. Place the garlic halves, cut side down, over the butter and salt. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the garlic is soft when poked with a knife and golden brown along the cut side.
3. Carefully remove the foil. Remove the garlic cloves from the butter by lifting the peels with tongs, allowing most cloves to fall out. Use the tip of a knife to free any remaining cloves. Scrape any browned bits from the sides of the baking dish into the butter.
4. Cook the pasta in well-salted water until 1 to 2 minutes shy of al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
5. Place the spinach in a blender or food processor, and pour the garlic butter over it, scraping out any remaining butter. Add 0.75 teaspoon salt, several grinds of black pepper, and a couple of pinches of red pepper flakes (if desired). Blend until smooth, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water if needed. Adjust seasoning to taste.
6. Pour the spinach sauce into the empty pasta pot. Add the drained pasta and a splash of pasta water. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing constantly, for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta. If the pasta sticks to the pot, add more pasta water in small splashes.
7. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl. Finish with more salt, black pepper, and freshly grated Pecorino Romano.

Notes:

• You can replace half the butter (4 tablespoons or 55 grams) with olive oil if desired.
• You can increase the greens to 8 ounces for a greener sauce—just be sure to adjust seasoning accordingly.