One-Pan Creamy Tomato Spinach Pasta
Recipe By: @bite_and_delight_yumm
🍝 Fun Fact: Cooking the pasta directly in the sauce doesn’t just save a pot. The starch released from the noodles helps naturally thicken and bind everything together.
🎥 WATCH The Video
Ingredients
9 oz tagliatelle nests or spaghetti
10.5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
⅓ cup red onion, finely diced
2 cups fresh spinach
3 tbsp tomato purée or crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste, optional
2 tsp garlic, thinly sliced
½ tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp paprika
1 cup heavy cream
2½ cups vegetable broth
3 tbsp olive oil
Shredded mozzarella, optional, for finishing
Step By Step
1️⃣ Build The Pan
Place the pasta in a large skillet or sauté pan. Arrange the cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic, and spinach around the noodles. Spoon the tomato purée and tomato paste over the top, then drizzle everything with olive oil.
2️⃣ Season Everything At Once
Sprinkle over the Italian seasoning, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and paprika.
3️⃣ Add The Liquids
Pour in the heavy cream and vegetable broth. The pasta should be mostly covered with liquid so it cooks evenly.
4️⃣ Cover + Cook
Cover the pan and bring the liquid to a boil. Cook for 11–13 minutes, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick and the noodles cook evenly.
5️⃣ Let The Sauce Tighten
Once the pasta is tender and the sauce looks creamy, remove the lid. Cook for another 2–3 minutes if you want a thicker, glossier sauce.
6️⃣ Finish + Serve
Stir everything together well before serving. For an extra-creamy finish, scatter shredded mozzarella over the hot pasta and let it melt into the sauce.
