5 8 Published Sep 23, 2022, Updated Nov 07, 2024 When making pasta I always find myself with 2-3 different pots and pans on the stove going at the same time – one to cook the noodles, one to heat the sauce and one to cook either veggies or a protein to serve alongside the pasta. That’s too many dishes to clean at the end of the night if you ask me! Cue this one pot pasta recipe! Instead of cooking everything separately we’re cooking the sauce, veggies and noodles together in one pot! The veggies are sautéed first, then you add your marinara sauce and vegetable broth which acts as the liquid you need to cook your noodles. Once your noodles soak up some of the liquid and soften you’re left with a delicious pasta dish that’s ready to serve!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This entire dish cooks up in one pot! Yay for less dishes! It’s jam-packed with veggies! It cooks up in less than 30 minutes, making it the perfect meal for those busy weeknights.
Ingredients Needed
olive oil – for sautéing the onions and garlic. garlic and onion – two must-haves for flavor! mushrooms – I love the mushrooms in this dish because it not only adds nutrients, but also a nice texture and more substance. I used cremini mushrooms (also known as button mushrooms) in this recipe but feel free to use your favorite variety instead. Italian seasoning – a blend that usually consists of dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, marjoram, etc. You can find this at your local grocery store or make your own. salt and pepper – to bring all the flavors together. diced tomatoes – one 14oz can of diced tomatoes is all you’ll need! Feel free to use your favorite variety of tomatoes. I bet fire-roasted tomatoes would be delicious. marinara sauce – instead of cooking the pasta sauce separately we’re cooking the noodles directly in the sauce! I love Rao’s tomato basil pasta sauce because it’s made with simple, natural ingredients and has no added sugar! That said, feel free to use your favorite brand of store-bought sauce or make homemade sauce! vegetable broth – when combined with the pasta sauce it creates the liquid for cooking the spaghetti noodles. I used vegetable broth instead of water because it adds a wonderful flavor to the sauce. spaghetti – for the pasta we’re using spaghetti noodles. spinach – the perfect leafy green for this dish. fresh basil – fresh basil really elevates the flavors of this dish. parmesan – fresh parmesan is the perfect garnish for pasta dishes. It adds a great savory flavor and some saltiness to this dish. I recommend using fresh parmesan cheese versus using pre-shredded or pre-shaved cheese.
Substitutions & Notes
Vegetables: I like the combination of mushrooms and spinach in this dish, but feel free to use what you have on hand! Zucchini, bell peppers or kale would be good alternatives. Pasta: I’ve only made this dish with spaghetti noodles, but I bet other varieties of pasta would work like angel hair pasta, macaroni, penne or rigatoni. Just note that the cook time will likely be different if you use another variety of pasta. Gluten-free: I haven’t tried this recipe with gluten-free pasta so I’m not sure how it would turn out cooking directly in the sauce and I have a feeling it might result in pasta noodles that are too mushy. Let me know if you decide to try a gluten-free alternative in the comments below! Parmesan: You can easily skip the parmesan to make this dish vegan, or better yet, make my vegan parmesan! I’ve also been loving the Violife just like parmesan wedge recently, so that would be a great dairy-free alternative. Broth: Feel free to use bone broth, chicken broth or water instead of the veggie broth! Just note that if you use water you might want to add a touch more seasonings since the broth adds extra flavor.
How to Make One Pot Pasta
Begin by heating oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent and fragrant. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Next, add the mushrooms, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Add the diced tomatoes, pasta sauce and vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add spaghetti to the tomato sauce. Press the noodles down with a spatula or wooden spoon to submerge pasta fully in the liquid. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-17 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Check the pasta halfway through and stir with tongs to make sure the pasta isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once cooked, turn off heat and mix in the basil and spinach. Once spinach has wilted serve pasta immediately and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.
What to Serve With One Pot Pasta
This dish is definitely a full meal on its own, but if you want to serve it with a side or protein here are some ideas:
Salad: A fresh salad always pairs well with pasta. This sweet kale salad, garlicky kale salad or Italian chopped salad are excellent options! Roasted veggies: You can never have too many veggies, am I right?! A baking sheet full of your favorite roasted vegetables would be the perfect side to this pasta. Some options: roasted broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes or air fryer brussels sprouts. Protein: Add some protein to this dish by topping it with my apple cider vinegar chicken, spinach turkey meatballs or crispy tempeh bacon. This pasta would also be delicious served with Italian sausage or ground beef/ground turkey. Garlic bread: Pasta + garlic bread = a match made in heaven. Wine: I know wine isn’t technically a side dish, but a glass of red wine would pair perfectly with this dish. If you’re serving this dish to a group you could make a batch of my mulled wine or red sangria.
Tips For Success
Make sure to press the spaghetti down with a spatula or wooden spoon to submerge the pasta in the liquid fully! If your pot or pan is not wide enough to fully submerge the noodles, break the spaghetti in half before cooking otherwise it won’t cook evenly. Make sure to stir your pasta halfway through cooking to ensure that the noodles aren’t sticking to the bottom of your pot otherwise they will burn. Only speaking from experience here!
How to Store Leftovers
This dish works well for meal prep because it stores nicely in the fridge. I suggest storing any leftovers in an airtight sealed container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. To reheat, add some pasta to a skillet and heat on the stove over medium heat until warmed throughout. You might need to add a splash of water to ensure the noodles don’t stick to the pan. You can also microwave leftovers if you’re in a rush!
More Pasta Dishes to Try
Penne alla Vodka Easy Baked Ziti Lasagna Soup Ground Turkey Pasta Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta Turkey Bolognese Pasta Primavera Healthy Lasagna Healthy Hamburger Helper
Be sure to check out the full collection of dinner recipes on EBF!
