Easy One Pot Pasta | Healthy Pasta Dinner Recipe
This Easy One Pot Pasta is a quick, healthy, and vegan dinner that combines pasta, fresh vegetables, and sauce all cooked together in one pot. Perfect for busy weeknights, this recipe creates a flavorful and satisfying meal with minimal cleanup, using wholesome ingredients and a simple stovetop method.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Pasta and Sauce
- 8 ounces dry pasta (gluten-free or regular)
- 1 1/4 cups pasta sauce of choice
- 2 1/2 cups water
Vegetables
- 8 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small zucchini, ends trimmed and quartered
- 3 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 ounces fresh spinach
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prep: Add the uncooked pasta to a large pot or a deep-sided pan. Add the halved tomatoes, minced garlic, sliced onion, quartered zucchini, sliced mushrooms, salt-free Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes if using, kosher salt, pasta sauce, and water. Stir everything well to combine.
- Cook: Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the pasta mixture for 10 to 14 minutes until the pasta is al dente, stirring every 2 minutes to prevent sticking. Cooking time depends on the pasta type; start checking for doneness based on the minimum cook time recommended on the pasta package.
- Serve: Turn off the heat and fold fresh spinach into the pasta. Allow the spinach to wilt in the residual heat. Divide the pasta into serving bowls and top as desired. Best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Notes
- This recipe works well with both gluten-free and regular pasta. Shorter pasta shapes such as penne, rotini, shells, or macaroni cook more evenly using this method. Brown rice pasta is a great gluten-free option.
- Feel free to customize the vegetables by adding, subtracting, or substituting based on preference or availability.
- For added flavor, sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, then add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to sauté for 1 more minute before adding the remaining ingredients and proceeding as directed.
