Ingredients:

  • 1 lb pasta (Spaghetti or Linguine)
  • 5 oz fresh baby spinach
  • 4 tbsp salted butter
  • 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly and finely grated
  • 4 large garlic cloves, sliced razor-thin

Instructions:

  1. Boil a large pot of heavily salted water. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1.5 cups of the starchy pasta water before draining.
  2. While the pasta boils, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until golden and fragrant, ensuring it does not turn dark brown.
  3. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet with the garlic butter and whisk to combine.
  4. Transfer the hot pasta directly into the skillet. Add the fresh baby spinach and half of the grated Parmesan cheese.
  5. Use tongs to toss the mixture vigorously over low heat. The residual heat will wilt the spinach. Gradually add more pasta water as needed until a glossy, silk-smooth emulsion forms and coats the pasta.