One-Pot Italian Pasta
This quick one-pot Italian pasta simmers spaghetti right in the tomato sauce with garlic, fresh basil, and spinach for a comforting weeknight dinner ready in about 30 minutes. It uses only simple, flavorful ingredients and leaves you with just one pot to wash.
Ingredients
- 500 g spaghetti you can use gluten-free spaghetti, if needed
- 500 ml tomato juice passata
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 200 g fresh spinach
- 2 tbsp parmesan grated, optional - vegans can skip this or replace it with nutritional yeast flakes (nooch)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1-2 pinches chili flakes
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Add water to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Add ½ tsp of salt.
- Once boiling, add the spaghetti.
- Cook the spaghetti for 8 minutes.
- Drain almost all the water, leaving just a little on the bottom (about ½ cup).
- Put the pot back on the stove over low heat.
- Add the tomato juice and stir.
- Add the garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder, and chili flakes.
- Cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the basil and 1-2 handfuls of spinach. Stir and cover the fresh leaves with the hot pasta so they steam in a couple of seconds.
- Add the rest of the spinach and stir. Let it steam in the hot pasta.
- Cook for 2 more minutes, then remove from heat.
- Add the grated parmesan (optional), stir, and cover with a lid.
- Let it rest for about a minute, then serve.
Notes
To make it vegan, skip the parmesan or use 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast (nooch) instead. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; add a splash of water when reheating, as the pasta absorbs the sauce.