This spinach tomato pasta is rich, creamy and loaded with flavour. Better still, it’s all made in one pot!
Back at it again with another easy and delicious midweek pasta recipe. This time we’re loading it with tangy sun dried tomatoes, juicy spinach and a whole load of creamy goodness. Sound good? Follow me…
Creamy Tomato Spinach Pasta
The tomato part
This comes from two different ingredients: sun dried tomatoes and tomato paste. The sun dried tomatoes not only add a bit of texture to the sauce, but they add nice hit of tangy tomatoey goodness. I recommend using sun dried tomatoes in oil so you can use some of the oil to start frying the onions! The tomato paste offers the bulk of the tomato flavour. It’s important to fry it off for a few mins, this will remove the acidic edge of the paste and turn it slightly sweet. Don’t skip this step!
The creamy part
This of course comes from the cream, but some of the creaminess actually comes from the pasta itself. Because it’s all cooked in one pot, a lot of the starch from the pasta incorporates with the sauce and helps emulsify all the fats. This in turn helps turn the sauce nice and glossy/creamy.
The spinach part
I recommend adding the spinach towards the end. You really only need it to wilt down enough to mix in with the sauce. If you add it right at the beginning it’ll turn into mush!
One Pot Tomato Spinach Pasta
Why make one pot pasta?
- Convenience  – there’s no denying the ease of one pot pasta dishes, especially as a no-fuss midweek dinner. Who doesn’t live for less washing up?!
- Pasta Flavour – as the pasta cooks it also takes on the flavour of the liquid it’s cooking in.
What Pasta to use?
I love using penne, just so the sauce and spinach can ooze its way in and around the pasta. In reality though any short cut pasta will do the trick!
Stock/Cream temperature
Ensure you make your stock ahead of time to allow it to cool slightly, and also ensure your cream is at room temp. Otherwise you increase the chance of the cream curdling when they combine!
Process shots: add onion & oil to pot (photo 1), fry (photo 2) fry sun dried tomatoes and garlic (photo 3), fry tomato paste (photo 4), add stock, cream and seasoning (photo 5), add pasta and simmer (photo 6), add basil and spinach (photo 7), stir and simmer until cooked (photo 8).
Serving Tomato Spinach Pasta
What do I do if the pasta doesn’t cook?
This will produce a fairly thick sauce, but still properly cooked pasta. The pasta should always be a little al dente (have a bit of a bite to it), but if the spinach or pasta isn’t fully cooked just add in more hot stock or water as needed.
What to serve with tomato spinach pasta?
Gotta be some homemade garlic bread (Or cheesy garlic bread, or even cheesy PESTO garlic bread!)
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this tomato spinach pasta shall we?!
How to make Tomato Spinach Pasta (Full Recipe & Video)
Simply Delicious Tomato Spinach Pasta
Equipment
- Large Pot & Wooden Spoon
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Jug (for stock)
- Fine Cheese Grater
Ingredients
- 14oz / 400g Penne, uncooked
- 4 cups / 1 litre Chicken Stock, not piping hot!
- 1 cup / 250ml Double/Heavy Cream, at room temp
- 1 cup / 125g Sun Dried Tomatoes, finely diced
- 1/3 cup / 3oz / 85g Tomato Paste (Tomato Puree in UK)
- 1/2 cup / 40g freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup finely diced Fresh Basil
- 4oz / 120g Baby Spinach
- 1 medium White Onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves of Garlic, minced/finely diced
- 1 tbsp Sun Dried Tomato Oil (or Olive Oil)
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes, or to preference
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat add oil and begin frying the onion. Once soft & slightly browned, add in sun dried tomatoes & garlic and fry for a further couple of minutes.
- Add tomato paste and fry for 2-3mins, then pour in chicken stock. Give it a stir to blend in the tomato puree and deglaze the pan, then pour in cream (important the cream is at room temp and the stock isn't too hot or the cream may curdle).
- Add a chilli flakes, salt and pepper (to taste) then add uncooked pasta. Turn heat to low medium and keep it on a gentle simmer until the pasta is about 75% cooked (stirring fairly frequently). Add in spinach & basil and continue stirring until the spinach wilts down. If the sauce soaks up before the pasta/spinach is cooked add in more hot water or stock as needed. You're looking for it to be al dente though (still a teeny bit hard).
- Stir in parmesan, then serve up and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
After more creamy tomato pasta recipes? Check out my Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta and Penne Alfredo with Bacon and Sun Dried Tomatoes!
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
One Pot Pasta Recipes
- One Pot Spicy Rigatoni
- One Pot Chili Mac
- One Pot Mac and Cheese
- One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta
- One Pot Creamy Beef Pasta
- One Pot Sausage Mushroom Pasta
I made this a few days ago and it’s super easy to make. I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes, so I just added more tomato paste, but I greatly enjoyed my meal.
Great to hear, Jena! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 C.
Another delicious simple dish to make. How much easier to cook the pasta in the sauce rather than boil separately. Because it is a rich dish you don’t need as big a portion so I’m technically classing it as ‘healthy’ lol.
Hahah I love that mentality!! Thanks for the review, Claire 🙂 C.
This is sooooooo nice and really easy to make!
Great to hear, Nichola! Thanks for the review 🙂 C.
Dinner tonight!!
Enjoy! 🙂
AMAZING RECIPE. Family loved it. Thanks.
Thanks for the review, Josh! 🙂
Hi Chris! Found you through Pinterest. Love your site. Bacon!!
And LOVE this tasty looking tomato spinach pasta dish! I haven’t tried doing this (extra creamy) one pot style. I think I might try a spinach variation and will probably add extra spice. Thanks!!