One-Pot Spinach Tomato Pasta

This one-pot spinach tomato pasta perfectly balances rich and light for a healthy meal that leaves you satisfied for hours. Ready in under half an hour, with just one pot to clean, this is the recipe to have at hand on those days when home cooking is the last thing on your mind.

This simple one-pot pasta is light and filling at the same time, with fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes perfectly balancing the creaminess of the pasta. But what you’ll love most about it is that it literally requires just one pot, from start to finish.

What Is One-Pot Pasta?

Simply put, one-pot pasta is a dish where all the ingredients, both pasta and sauce, are cooked in the same pot and at the same time. This is a bit of a controversial notion that makes me blush in front of my Italian friends - pasta is traditionally cooked separately from the sauce, and then mixed together right before serving.

That said, this is a very quick and easy way to prepare a home-cooked meal that still tastes amazing. So if you’re strapped for time, and yet want to make homemade pasta, this is the recipe for you.

Tell Me More About This One-Pot Spinach Tomato Pasta

You're bound to fall in love with this quick and simple pasta recipe. It's:

• Ready in under 30 minutes
• Easy one-pot recipe
• Delicious and extra creamy
• Vegan friendly

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This One-Pot Spinach Pasta

Olive oil - the quality of your olive oil can make or break a pasta. I strongly recommend using high-quality virgin olive oil.

Onion - every good pasta recipe starts with finely chopped onion. I used brown onion, but other types could work just as well.

Garlic - you can add more or less garlic depending on personal preference. I recommend using a garlic press or chopping the cloves very finely with a sharp knife.

Tomatoes - I used cherry tomatoes, but plum or grape tomatoes would work just as fine. They have more flavours and tend to be a bit sweeter.

Vegetable stock - you can use store-bought stock or make your own. Make sure to check if your vegetable stock has added salt and adjust your seasoning accordingly.

Pasta - I’ve so far made this pasta with fusilli, penne and farfalle, but I almost always lean towards fusilli. You can use any type of pasta you want, just make sure to adapt the cooking time accordingly in case you’re using significantly thinner or thicker pasta.

Spinach - fresh spinach makes a great additional to this recipe. It adds flavour, texture and colour, plus it’s packed with nutrients. 

Basil - I love adding fresh herbs because they really make a difference in the flavour. If you don’t have any at hand, you can try substituting with a teaspoon of dry basil.

Nutritional yeast - optional, but recommended. Nutritional yeast barely adds any flavour to the pasta, but it makes it so much more creamier and satisfying. You can also substitute it with finely grated hard vegan cheese.

How to Make One-Pot Spinach Pasta

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to the pan, cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to brown, then add the garlic. Cook for another minute for the aroma to fully develop.
2. Add tomatoes, and let them cook for a minute or so. Squash half of them with a fork for a mushier texture.
3. Add pasta, make sure it is fully submerged in liquid, and bring the whole thing to a boil.
4. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for seven minutes or until pasta is almost done.
5. Slowly add spinach in batches, stirring until it wilts. Add fresh basil and nutritional yeast and cook for a few minutes more. Remove the pan from heat and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips, Tricks, Additions and Substitutions

• If you’re not a fan of spinach, you can omit it completely, or replace it with other leafy greens, such as kale, collard greens, or Swiss chard.
• Try adding mushrooms, olives, cannellini beans or bell peppers to the mix.
• Stir the pasta every few minutes to make sure it doesn’t get stuck together, since there is no extra water used in this recipe.
• Add more water, if necessary. There are some types of pasta that tend to cook longer and may require some extra water to fully cook. If you feel that the pasta needs more cooking, just keep adding more water until it cooks through.

One-Pot Spinach Tomato Pasta FAQs

How many servings does this make?

The recipe makes 2 servings.

Is it vegan?

Yes, absolutely. To make it creamier you can add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast or grated hard vegan cheese and give it a final stir right before it’s done.

Is it gluten free?

Not as written. But you can easily use your favourite gluten-free pasta and turn this into a gluten-free recipe. However, you might need to use about ½ cup more water. I also suggest serving gluten-free pasta right away. If you let it sit for too long before serving it, gluten-free pasta will absorb all of the remaining liquid and get a bit mushy.

How long will this recipe keep?

This pasta can easily sit in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, add a splash of water and reheat the pasta on the stove, just until heated through.

More Vegan Pasta Recipes

If you’re looking for more pasta recipes, make sure to check these out:

• Creamy Garlic Pasta with Green Peas
• Basic Pasta with Cherry Tomato Sauce
• Easy Vegan Tomato Pasta

Or, click here for a complete list of vegan pasta recipes.