Asiago Pasta is a mouth-watering pasta dish that features tender spaghetti noodles and a rich, velvety sauce made with grated Asiago cheese, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Fresh spinach adds a pop of color and a touch of healthiness to this comforting and easy-to-make pasta meal. If this sounds good to you, give my Cheesy Spinach Dip Chicken Pasta a try, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Pasta: I used spaghetti noodles in the recipe. You could use any kind of pasta you have on hand, or make your own homemade shaped pasta! Be sure to reserve about a cup of pasta water after you drain the noodles.
Red Pepper Flakes: Don’t be intimidated by the red pepper flakes; they do not make the dish too spicy. In fact, I add a few more to my plateful of noodles. However, you could leave them out if preferred.
Cheese: Asiago cheese is cheese made from cow’s milk in the northeastern region of Italy. Its flavor can vary depending on how long it has been aged. The longer the cheese has aged, the stronger its sweet, nutty flavor. If you don’t have asiago cheese, you could substitute grana padano, freshly grated parmesan cheese, manchego cheese, pecorino romano, gruyere, or even cheddar cheese.
Spinach: I prefer fresh spinach to add to the dish. However, you could use frozen spinach that has been thawed and squeezed of excess liquid. Or, try other vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, or tomatoes.
Reserve the Pasta Water!
There are a few pasta recipes I have that recommend reserving pasta water for the sauce (Vodka Sauce and Spicy Gnocchi Bread Bowl). But, is it important? Yes! The pasta water is added to the cheese sauce and cooked noodles. The starch from the pasta water also helps bind the sauce and pasta together rather than simply coating the noodles. This gives you a full-flavored taste in every bite!
What Meats Pair Well with Asiago Pasta?
This delicious Asiago pasta dish is perfect for those following a vegetarian lifestyle, but for those who want to add more protein, there are several options to choose from. Pair the pasta with your choice of meats including chicken, prosciutto, pancetta, sausage, beef, or ham. Seafood lovers can also add shrimp or scallops to take their Asiago pasta dish to the next level. Your personal preference and desired flavor profile will dictate the perfect meat or seafood addition to make this Asiago pasta recipe truly your own.
How to Store Asiago Pasta
If you have any leftovers, don’t let them go to waste. Store the leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to enjoy, add the pasta to a saucepan with a small amount of water. Cover and heat over low heat until warm. Alternatively, you could microwave the pasta in a microwave-safe dish, covered, in 30-second intervals until heated through.
Asiago Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup (245 g) whole milk
- 1 cup (80 g) asiago cheese, grated, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups (60 g) fresh spinach leaves
- parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. I recommend al dente.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Set the noodles and reserved pasta water aside while you prepare the asiago sauce.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter.
- Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Whisk in the flour, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook until golden brown (about 1 minute).
- Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly.
- Add in asiago, spinach, and ¼ cup of pasta water, or as needed if too thick. Cook until the spinach is wilted, stirring frequently (1-2 minutes).
- Add cooked pasta, tossing to coat.
- Garnish with asiago cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
@AmandaRettke from Corinne😍🙃🙂 Asiago pasta turned out great!!!!
Delicious, honestly so good!! Thank you
Friends this recipe is fast and the results will make a weekday meal feel like a celebration. It is so good. I didn’t have spinach so added parsley at the end. It was so delicious.
That sauce comes together like magic and tastes better than my last high end restaurant similar dish.
I feel so accomplished! 😂
Yay! I love that you feel great about this!
Very easy to make and delicious! I have Crohn’s and recently came out of remission. Meat is not my friend on my digestive system these days. This meal was perfect. No pain after eating. Thank you.
All looks delicious
Oh my goodness, this was so delicious! I made ours with Bowtie pastas and used a little more than 8 ounces. It would also be really good with chicken in it and reminds me a lot of the Olive Garden dish .This one is a keeper!
Nutrition information?