Gemelli Pasta with Spinach

Are you looking for a pasta recipe that is full of flavor and easy to make? Look no further than this Gemelli pasta recipe with sun dried tomatoes, bacon, and spinach. This dish is perfect for a cozy night in or a dinner party with friends.

What is Gemelli Pasta?

Gemelli pasta is a type of pasta that looks like two strands of pasta are wrapped around each other forming a type of spiral braid. Apparently the name means “twins” in Italian. This pasta is perfect when you need to cook pasta as al dente because it’s not easily over-cooked. It’s perfect for casseroles and bakes and wonderful in a dish like this. It absorbs the sauce well, without becoming soggy.

What is a substitute for Gemelli Pasta?

A good substitute for Gemelli pasta would be any pasta that generally cooks as al dente. Fusili, Rotini, Penne or even a less known Trofie pasta would all be great substitutes for Gemelli.

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Ingredients for Gemelli Pasta

Gemelli Pasta – You can probably use Fusili or Penne instead as they are more readily available, but I really like Gemelli for this dish as it has the perfect consistency.

Bacon – Can be omitted if you want to make a vegetarian version of the dish. However, it gives lots of good flavor to the sauce.

Onion – any white onion will do

Sun-dried Tomatoes – I got the ones in a jar preserved in oil with herbs.

Flour – For thickening the sauce

Cream & Milk – main sauce ingredients.

Salt & pepper – for seasoning

Spinach – I used baby spinach. If using normal spinach, you might like to chop it into smaller pieces as the leaves can be pretty big at times.

How to Make this Gemelli Pasta

Cook the Gemelli pasta according to the instructions on the package (10-12 Minutes). Drain, reserving some of the cooking water and set aside.

As the pasta is cooking, finely dice the onion, thinly slice the bacon, and thinly slice the dried tomatoes in oil. Also wash the baby spinach if it is not pre-washed.

In a medium pot or dutch oven sauté the sliced bacon until desired done-ness (about 3-5 minutes). Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Then add the tomatoes and heat them through.

Add a tablespoon of flour to the bacon-onion-tomato mixture. There should be enough grease from the bacon. You can also add a tablespoon of the oil from the tomatoes. This is optional, but the oil has extra herbs in there and gives the dish more flavor.

Stir the flour with the rest of the ingredients until well-incorporated (no white should be seen). Sauté for another minute so that the flour is cooked through. Slowly incorporate the cream (mixing all the while), and then the milk. Season with ground black pepper.

Add the cooked Gemelli pasta to the sauce and mix until all the pasta is evenly combined. Add some of the drained pasta water to the pot to thin out the sauce. Add as much or as little as you want. I ended up adding about 1/2 cup water to the pasta. Add salt only if needed.

Add the washed spinach to the pasta and mix it in a bit. Cover with a lid and let simmer on very low heat. Stir the pasta once in a while until the spinach has wilted and is evenly incorporated with the rest of the pasta.

Remove the pasta from the stove and serve hot.

Helpful Tips for making this Gemelli Pasta

• Cook the pasta in salted water, but don’t over salt. If you use the water later to thin out the pasta, you might end up with too much salt.
• Don’t salt the dish until the very end and until you’ve had the chance to taste the final result. There is generally enough salt from the bacon and pasta water that you don’t need to add any salt.

What to Serve with Gemelli Pasta

This dish is seriously good without adding anything else. However, you can also serve a salad on the side.

My favorite ones for pasta are:

Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad

Arugula Salada with Tomatoes Avocado and Feta

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad Plate with Basil

How to Store & Re-heat Leftover Pasta

This pasta tastes best when freshly made. However, leftovers can be stored in the fridge and used up within 1-2 days.

To re-heat, simply heat the pasta on the stove on low heat and add a bit of milk, cream or water to thin out the sauce. Make sure to stir once in a while. Eat once hot.

Other Pasta Dishes to Try

Looking for more easy Pasta meals? Here are some of my favorites.

• EASY PENNE PASTA WITH A CREAMY SAUCE
• CREAMY SPINACH SALMON PASTA
• FRIED SPAGHETTI AND SCRAMBLED EGGS
• MARRY ME CHICKEN PASTA

Lastly, if you make this Gemelli Pasta with Spinach, make sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating here! I’d love to hear back from you and will do my best to answer and respond to every comment. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe. I’d love to see the photos of the recipes you have made!