Last weekend I got an email from Robyn with a link to this really cool recipe over at Apron Strings. I love cooking pasta and rice in liquids other than water, so this idea for a one pot pasta dish (which is originally from Martha Stewart Living Magazine) was right up my alley!
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This dish is incredibly easy and super flavorful. The pasta cooks in a mixture of broth, herbs, and aromatics, like onion and garlic, which really ramp up the flavor. The starch that dissolves off of the pasta as it cooks helps create a thick sauce right in the pot. It’s magic! So fast, so easy, and SO flavorful. I do want to mention, though, that if you’re the type of person that can’t handle pasta any other way than al dente, you may not like this one. The pasta can get a little soft, if you let it cook even just a little too long.
I made a few changes to the original recipe, as usual, to fit my needs. First, instead of using fresh basil, which can cost an arm and a leg, I used frozen spinach for a pop of green and increased the dried basil to make up for the flavor. Second, I wanted more “stuff” in my pasta, so I used a larger can of diced tomatoes and reduced the amount of vegetable broth to compensate. Lastly, I added a light sprinkle of shaved Parmesan over top. Other great ideas for add-ins: mushrooms, parmesan, artichoke hearts, or olives.
I think next time I’ll save adding the frozen spinach until the end so that it will defrost and heat quickly from the pasta’s residual heat. That way the spinach will stay bright green and pretty, and it will not darken the pasta as it cooks. But hey, either way it tasted fantastic!
Tomato Spinach One Pot Pasta
Servings 6Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable broth ($0.52)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 12 oz. fettuccine ($0.75)
- 8 oz. frozen chopped spinach ($0.72)
- 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes ($1.68)
- 1 yellow onion, sliced ($0.42)
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced ($0.32)
- 1/2 Tbsp dried basil ($0.15)
- 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano ($0.15)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.03)
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste ($0.05)
- 2 oz. shaved Parmesan ($1.25)
Instructions
- Add four cups of vegetable broth to a large pot. Break the fettuccine in half and add it to the pot along with the canned tomatoes (with juices), olive oil, frozen spinach, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
- Make sure the ingredients are submerged under the liquid, place a lid on top of the pot, and then turn the heat on to high. Allow the pot to come up to a full boil over high heat, then remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium.
- Allow the pot to continue to boil over medium heat, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir the pot every few minutes as it cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, but avoid over stirring which can cause the pasta to become sticky.
- Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan just before serving.
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Nutrition
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How to Make One Pot Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Start with four cups of vegetable broth. The flavor intensity and salt content of your broth will make a big difference in the end flavor of the pasta. If you use a low sodium broth, the pasta will taste bland. I use Better Than Bouillon soup base for all of my broths because it is really flavorful, much less expensive than boxed or canned broths, and I can mix up any amount needed. These little jars last forever in the refrigerator, too, so it’s there whenever you need it. And no, I am not being paid to endorse it. :)
Add the four cups of broth to a large pot along with 12 oz. fettuccine, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 8oz. frozen spinach, a 28oz. can diced tomatoes (with the juices), 1 sliced onion, 4 cloves garlic (minced or sliced), 1/2 Tbsp dried basil, 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and some freshly cracked pepper. Although I show the fettuccine whole here, it’s best to break the pasta in half to help it fit in the pot and make it easier to stir later.
Briefly stir the pot and make sure all the pasta is submerged. Place a lid on the pot and bring it up to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a full boil, remove the lid, turn the heat down to medium, and give it a stir. Make sure it’s still bubbling away when you turn the heat down. It needs to continue boiling for this to work.
Let it boil for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated. Only stir once every few minutes to keep the pasta from sticking. Over stirring it can make the pasta overly mushy and sticky.
And then it’s done and it tastes amazing! Cool, huh? Sprinkle a little shaved Parmesan over top just before serving. This Tomato Spinach One Pot Pasta deserves a cape for being so amazing. That bowl was gone in 60 seconds. 👅
This meal exceeded my expectations!Took maybe 30 minutes. Added mushrooms and smoked kielbasa towards the end. Also used kale instead of spinach. Made an effort to not stir to often to prevent slimminess. I will be adding this to my regular meal plans. Love it!
This is obviously a huge hit and after I get to the store I am going to try this…with italian sausage! I can taste it now!!!
I rate it 5 stars, because I know it will be that yummy!!
Making this right now for dinner. =) Thanks for sharing the recipe! I omitted the basil, simply because I didn’t realize until it was too late that I was missing it! Also, using parmesan rather than feta since that is what I have on hand. Looks great so far! Thanks again for sharing! =)
This turned out to be a big pot of spinach with some noodles in it. Leave out the spinach and it will be decent.
The saddest part in making this was I burned a solid layer onto the bottom of my pot. The instructions say to stir it minimally, so I tried to stir as little as possible. Perhaps I was cooking too hot?
Otherwise, it was delicious.
Yes, it sounds like the heat was a little too high. Unfortunately heat level is always going to vary a little bit with the type of stove top you have (gas, electric, induction) and how thick or heavy your pots or pans are. But, now you know for next time! :)
Just made this & it was SCRUMPTIOUS!!! I used fresh veggies & Parmesan cheese! I sure will be making it again & again!!!
I made this a few weeks ago and it was SO good. Want to make it again tomorrow, however I don’t have fettuccine noodles. Would it work just as well with penne or farfalle noodles?
I think it should work the same, although that’s just my best guess. I haven’t actually tried it, but I can’t think of any factors that would make it different. :)
We used penne rigate, and it was perfect!
Made this today and it was so so good! I only had 10 oz of pasta and had 21 oz of tomatoes so of course it was a bit liquidy. I just stirred in some corn starch to thicken up the liquid and it worked like a charm! I think adding cornstarch would also work if you wanted to use non-starchy noodles. It’s gluten free and would provide the missing starch.
I made this tonight for dinner with some homemade pasta (it was my day off and I wanted to do something special) and is was FANTASTIC! I just brought the sauce to a boil and cooked my pasta in it for 7 minutes, then scooped it out. I have lots of sauce left over, so I can’t wait to make some more tomorrow! In the future I would love to add some artichoke hearts, and maybe some Italian sausage if I can get my hands on any!
i made this tonight for the first time, 6 of 7 of us loved it! even my pickiest eater loved it! i’ll definitely make it again! thanks for your wonderful recipes.
(i had some sausage meat and cooked up mini meatballs and added them- it was tasty) :)
ooh, mini meatballs, great idea! :) did you saute them first or just drop them in raw?
White wine would fabulous in the broth. I’m adding diced cooked chicken as my hubby doesn’t think it’s dinner without meat ;)
I made this last night for my first time hosting dinner for my partner’s mom and sister. Everybody loved it and it was so easy! It really made the evening run smoothly. I added a can of white beans for some added protein, which worked perfectly. My partner even enjoyed the leftovers for dinner tonight.
Hi,I just made this recipe tonight. It is delicious! Everyone loved it. The next time I make it, I am going to add either cannellini beans or pre-cooked sausage near the end of cooking time. Thank you
Beth, you truly have a way with pasta. I made your dragon noodles and loved them so much that I had to try this recipe! I love that it is easy to make with what you already have at home…I didn’t have every ingredient, so here is what went into mine: chicken broth, the spices (had to sub garlic powder for garlic cloves), onion, pasta, one smaller can of diced tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce, and browned spicy Italian sausage. I topped it with Monterrey jack cheese. I love that you can just cook everything together in the same pot! :)
I used Egg noodles in this recipe today which was my first time making this, people please do not sub egg noodles for this recipe its not very good its just plain to thick. Over all minus the egg noodles this would have been a great recipe and adding beans to this instead of meat would be great. Thank you for sharing your version.