A weeknight cream sauce built from almond milk instead of the usual dairy, this pasta dishes out richness with the almondmilk's subtle vanilla note playing against garlic and fresh spinach. The sauce thickens without cream, making it feel indulgent when it is not.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 590 calories a serving, 18 g protein, 96 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Start a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. While waiting, slice 4 garlic cloves thin or chop them fine.
2. When the water boils, add 8 ounces of pasta and cook until two minutes before tender. While the pasta cooks, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic, stirring often until it turns pale and soft, about two minutes.10 min
3. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the garlic and stir to coat everything, cooking for one minute until the flour is no longer raw. The roux should smell toasty.1 min
4. Pour in 3 cups of the almondmilk slowly, whisking to break up any lumps, and bring to a simmer, stirring often. The sauce will thicken as it simmers, about three minutes.3 min
5. Add 5 ounces of fresh spinach to the sauce and stir until completely wilted, about two minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.2 min
6. Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the sauce and toss to coat, adding pasta water a few tablespoons at a time if the sauce seems too thick.

Note Swap in thawed frozen spinach if fresh is not at hand; squeeze it dry before adding. Leftovers keep three days chilled; reheat gently with a splash of almondmilk stirred in. Finish with a crack of black pepper or crushed red pepper if you have it.