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4-Ingredient Creamy Chili Crisp Pasta

4-Ingredient Creamy Chili Crisp Pasta

Rescue dinnertime with this 4-Ingredient Creamy Chili Crisp Pasta, the ultimate solution for when you're too tired to cook but crave something deeply satisfying. It’s a quick, comforting, and flavor-packed meal that comes together in 15 minutes, delivering a spicy, silky sauce with absolutely no chopping required.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces bowtie or mezzi rigatoni pasta
  • 1 container cream cheese 8-ounce
  • 2 tablespoons chili crisp
  • 2 cups baby spinach packed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Large Skillet

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water.
    12 ounces bowtie or mezzi rigatoni pasta, Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  2. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the cream cheese and chili crisp.
    1 container cream cheese, 2 tablespoons chili crisp
  3. Stir gently until the cream cheese softens, melts, and combines with the chili crisp to form a smooth, spicy sauce.
  4. Add the drained, cooked pasta and the fresh spinach to the skillet along with 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water.
    2 cups baby spinach
  5. Toss everything together continuously until the spinach has wilted and the creamy sauce coats every noodle. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
  6. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, with an extra drizzle of chili crisp on top if desired.
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons chili crisp

Notes

For the best flavor, choose a high-quality chili crisp you enjoy (like Fly By Jing or Lao Gan Ma). The reserved pasta water is key for thinning the sauce to a silky consistency. For a flavor boost, try sautéing a tablespoon of tomato paste with the chili crisp before adding the cream cheese.