This spaghetti with spinach and sun-dried tomato cream sauce makes for an easy weeknight dinner

The weather doesn’t reflect it sometimes, but fall is on the way. And at my house, that means pasta and red wine season is just around the corner.

Until then, this pasta recipe from EatingWell makes the best of this in-between time: It features fresh spinach and a bright sun-dried tomato cream sauce over hearty spaghetti.

Best of all, this dish comes together quickly, making it an easy choice for busy weeknights when you really don’t want to pay for carry-out again.

Abandon your summertime salads and prepare for the long winter ahead! It’s not too early to start.

First off, the sun-dried tomatoes are key. Make sure you buy ones that are packed in oil — you’ll be using a little of that oil to add flavor to the sauce. And keep an eye on your budget, because gourmet brands of sun-dried tomatoes can cost a pretty penny if you’re not paying attention.

Once you’re in the kitchen, step one is to cook the spaghetti. While the noodles are going, coarsely chop baby spinach and place it in a colander in the sink.

This brings us to another of this recipe’s time-savers: When the pasta is done, drain the pot through the spinach-filled colander. The hot water will quickly wilt and cook the spinach in one step.

Toss the spinach to distribute it through the spaghetti and set aside. Time for the tomato cream sauce!

Here’s the tasty part. Sauté thin slices of onion with sun-dried tomatoes in oil from the tomatoes’ packaging. Once softened, season with garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper.

Deglaze the pan with chicken broth, cooking until the liquid is reduced by half. Finally, add in the richness: sour cream, butter and Parmesan cheese. Your tomato cream sauce is complete!

Transfer the cooked spaghetti and spinach into the saucepan and toss to coat. That’s it! An early-fall dinner is served.

Click here to read the full recipe for EatingWell’s Spaghetti & Spinach with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce.