One-Pot Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

20 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Jennifer Causey
Hands-on Time
29 Mins
Total Time
29 Mins
Yield
Serves 4 (serving size: about 2 cups pasta mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese)
By Ann Taylor Pittman
November 2017
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

This pasta dinner is a game changer: You use just enough liquid to cook the pasta--no colander needed. Recipe adapted from our sister publication Southern Living. Cost for 4: $8.43

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can unsalted petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 8 ounces whole-grain spaghetti or linguine (such as Barilla)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 10 ounce fresh spinach
  • 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 333
  • Fat 7.1g
  • Satfat 2g
  • Monofat 3.2g
  • Polyfat 1.1g
  • Protein 15g
  • Carbohydrate 55g
  • Fiber 9g
  • Cholesterol 5mg
  • Iron 5mg
  • Sodium 538mg
  • Calcium 197mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat.

Step 2

Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until onion starts to brown.

Step 3

Add tomatoes, stock, oregano, and pasta, in that order. Bring to a boil.

Step 4

Stir to submerge noodles in liquid.

Step 5

Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 7 minutes or until pasta is almost done.

Step 6

Uncover; stir in salt.

Step 7

Add spinach in batches, stirring until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.

Step 8

Sprinkle with cheese.

Step 9

Riff: Use fresh grape tomatoes instead, and add fresh herbs.

Step 10

Riff: Swap out spaghetti for any short pasta shape, such as elbow macaroni, rotini, or shells.

Step 11

Riff: Try adding chopped skinless, boneless chicken thighs, ground beef, or ground turkey for a heartier dish.

Chef's Notes

MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

Also appeared in: Cooking Light, March, 2015 ; All You, April, 2015

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Ratings & Reviews

rebelfan's Review

Hudechrome
March 08, 2015
I made based on recipe and really enjoyed this. So easy and in one pot! I used a can of diced tomatoes and a few chopped Roma tomatoes. I'm going to add some grilled chicken next time. I'll definitely make again! Good for family and friends for dinner.

lali13's Review

mmpauer
February 21, 2015
Good comfort food. I did not have problems with the pasta sticking or breaking, but I used an extra can of tomatoes when I discovered I only had 5 ounces of spinach to use.

GeeLisa's Review

steponme
February 24, 2015
We thought this recipe was amazing. It was so quick and easy, perfect for a busy night. Unlike the other reviews, I thought the amount of liquid and the amount of spinach were perfect. Most of the liquid was absorbed and what wasn't kind of worked with the starch from the pasta to make an almost creamy like texture on the noodles. I used regular diced tomatoes and not petite. One important note: During step 5, it doesn't say to stir the noodles periodically, but you'll need to as they want to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Simple ingredients, simple to make = will make again

swimmer32
March 17, 2015
We live on an out island in the Bahamas and it is rare that a Cooking Light recipe features ingredients we can actually obtain. But here we are with fresh tomatoes and fresh spinach and fresh garlic and onions...oooh, this recipe will work! And work it did. Really a very tasty dish--the strands of spaghetti were coated with a silky goodness, the spinach stood up to the pasta, and the fresh cherry tomatoes held it all together. We ate it with a side of grilled andouille sausage and we would cook the same dish again!

lovetocook

GeeLisa
October 21, 2015
This was delicious and extremely simple to make.  We all loved it and will definitely be making it again.  I added freshly cooked Italian sausage but is great alone or with chicken, meatballs etc.

Weeknight good

Coomsie
October 30, 2015
Cooking the noodles in the sauce really infuses flavor in the noodles. I followed the recipe and after the noodles softened, I felt it need more sauce; had a 1/2 cup of tomato juice in the refrigerator, added that & it was perfect for my taste. Good, quick weeknight meal.

Great weeknight recipe, quick and good!!

beldini
February 11, 2016
This dish was so simple to make and so delicious. I followed directions exactly and was very, very pleased with the result.  I will try adding a protein next time. The surprise was my husband, who usually balks at new things, asked how I did that as he really enjoyed it.  I think using the whole wheat pasta (I used a corkscrew pasta) and cooking it in the broth and tomatoes is such a great idea, really pumps up the flavor.  I could have eaten several helping!!  Thanks for a great recipe and one which can be modified to fit what you have on hand.

One of my favorites

cassiecooks
October 12, 2017
This recipe is SO easy to make, it tastes wonderful, and it's easy on your wallet!  It's one of my go-to weeknight meals.  I use 'barilla plus' pasta and low sodium vegetable stock.  This is also a great recipe to add your favorite veggies to.  I like to add sliced cremini mushrooms and extra fresh halved cherry tomatoes sometimes.  If you have a smaller pot or dutch oven, break the spaghetti in half so it's all submerged at once.

Very tasty and easy to make

rebelfan
October 23, 2017
I followed the recipe exactly EXCEPT I added cooked, crumbled up bacon.  We thought it was delicious and both had seconds.  I think the leftovers aren't long for this world!! 

beldini's Review

NarrEleu
March 08, 2015
This is being added to our regular rotation. It was really tasty! Because the canned tomatoes and chicken stock I had on hand wasn't salt free, I reduced the amount of added salt to 1/4 tsp. I also added some fresh shredded basil along with the spinach. Love the idea that I don't have to boil all that water. It's always felt like a waste, especially during drought conditions!