Easy and Creamy One Pot Tomato Spinach Pasta Recipe
- Updated on Nov 16, 2022
In just 25 minutes, you could be staring at a warm bowl of this creamy, filling and vitamin-packed tomato spinach pasta. Incredibly easy to make and tasty as heck, this meal is sure to delight even the pickiest of eaters in your family!
Want to Save This Post?
Enter your email & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Hurry the Food Up.
There’s just something comforting about having a quick dinner recipe in mind when I’m headed home after a tiring day at work and I live for the nights I get to enjoy this one.
Pasta is garnished with a savory and creamy yogurt-tomato sauce with spinach, seasoned to perfection, and made in one pot for a hearty 25-minute meal the whole family can enjoy.
What could possibly make a greater weeknight dinner?
Have it however you like with whatever you wish, but have a look at the main ingredients I used which I highlighted below!
Ingredients
Creamy Ingredients
To give this tomato spinach that nice, rich consistency and savour, I used some olive oil, tomatoes, thick tomato paste and some greek yoghurt but feel free to use substitutes that suit your taste better.
Any cooking oil would do and if you’d really like your tomato spinach pasta creamy, I’d recommend canned tomatoes instead of fresh ones and some sweet and tangy vegan cream cheese or heavy cream to replace the greek yoghurt.
Spices, Herbs and Pasta
Nothing spells flavour like onion and fresh garlic do, so they’re an absolute must for this easy pasta recipe.
The dried oregano and basil work wonders here, but you can easily switch them out for some dried thyme, parsley or even marjoram leaves.
Salt and pepper will always have a place in my kitchen cabinet as well as my meals and half a teaspoon of both was just what i needed to enhance the taste of this one. But, that’s just me. Feel free to use as much or as little as you please.
Use frozen or fresh spinach and for the pasta, anyone would work fine. But if you’re aiming for your dish to look like ours, I’d suggest you go for one of the tubular types.
Pick whole-grain pasta to make your meal lower in calories.
You could even consider throwing some bell peppers, some extra fresh cherry tomatoes and a bit of cayenne pepper.
Whichever route you choose, you should end up with a nice bowl of some creamy and delightful pasta dish!
How many calories are in this tomato spinach pasta?
This delicious tomato spinach pasta recipe has about 536 and 26g protein per serving.
A single portion of this meal will provide you with:
- kcal 536kcal
- Carbs 86g
- Fat 14g
- Protein 26g
And let’s not forget, this creamy tomato spinach pasta recipe just needs 25 mins. Now, that’s a hell of a great deal!
Subscribe to get our FREE 7-Day Vegetarian High Protein Meal Plan for Weight Loss
Health Benefits
A great meal makes you feel even better when you know what you’re eating is good for you. This is why we like to pick the healthiest simple ingredients for our recipes and this tomato spinach pasta is no different.
Take tomatoes for instance; the nutritional profile of tomatoes shows us this fruit is filled with vitamins, is low in carbs and high in fibre.
Greek yogurt doesn’t just make a damn good topping for soups and mixed with berries, a great breakfast, but it’s also a great source of calcium and besides boosting metabolism, there are many other health benefits associated with greek yogurt.
And how about those leafy greens, ey? The nutritional value of spinach comes with a range of medical advantages and let’s not forget, it’s flavour adds some oomph to this pasta as well.
There are so many reasons why we love pasta and why you should too but we’ll keep this short. Asides from it’s versatility and affordability, there are so many reasons why you should eat more pasta.
All those tied together are what makes this creamy tomato spinach pasta the bomb meal it is. Find out how you can make your very own below!
How to make the best tomato spinach pasta
- Heat up a large pot of water for your regular penne pasta and while that’s happening, dice your onions, grate or chop your garlic and your tomatoes if you’re using fresh ones.
- Bring the pasta water to a boil then add some salt and oil to the bubbling water for taste. For best results, follow the package instructions.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pot or large skillet over medium-high heat and add your prepped onions and garlic. Let this cook for 2-3 minutes till they’re all nice and translucent.
- Add your canned or fresh tomatoes but note, chopped tomatoes will make the pasta a little more watery than creamy, so keep that in mind.
- Throw in your leafy greens, all your spices, the tomato paste or tomato puree, greek yoghurt and stir till everything’s well combined and all dissolved in the sauce.
- Now it’s time for the parmesan cheese. Once you’ve added the cheese, drain the cooked pasta and toss it in the creamy tomato sauce as well.
- Lower the heat to let it all simmer and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Remember to taste and add some extra salt and pepper to make it even tastier if you wish.
Take it off the heat and that’s about it. Your delicious meal is all done!
FAQs for Tomato Spinach Pasta
How can I make the tomato spinach pasta ahead?
If you’d like to make this tomato-spinach pasta ahead, all you have to do is prep the pasta, chop the garlic, onions and tomatoes (if you’re using fresh ones) and grate the hard cheese. Bring everything together when you’re ready to have your meal.
How to store and reheat the tomato-spinach pasta?
You can keep this for a day or two in an airtight container and store in the fridge and throw it in the microwave when you’re in the mood for some again. It’s best served fresh though, so I’d recommend you don’t make portions greater than you can eat.
What to serve with the tomato spinach pasta?
This tomato spinach pasta is a full meal on its own so you won’t be needing any sides or toppings for this. What you can have is a nice and chilly refreshment to go with it, but that’s optional and completely up to you.
Is tomato pasta healthy?
Tomato pasta is incredibly healthy, with the two main ingredients providing a range of health benefits. It’s important to note though, creamy tomato pasta usually has more calories than regular tomato pasta, so keep that in mind.
More Tubular Pasta Recipes
What Our Readers are Saying
Just made this tonight and it was DEEEEE-Lish! 🙂 Super easy and fast and good for you. This will become a classic for me Im sure, thank you very much 🙂
Lisa ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wowwww this was quick yet amazinggggg! Thanks so much !!
Zeeze ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Good damn, never made pasta in my life before. Made it, ate it to my hearts content.
Meet Shah ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Looking for other healthy dinner ideas? Check out our list of vegetarian main course recipes for some inspiration. If you loved this pasta dish, our vegan chickpea curry and creamy broccoli pasta are also sure to be weeknight dinner hits.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 oz wholegrain pasta
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 3.5 oz spinach (frozen spinach works too)
- 1 can tomatoes, diced (~14 oz/400g)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1.5 oz hard cheese, grated
- 1 tsp oregano, dried
- 1 tsp basil, dried
- 1 pinch chili flakes
- 5 tbsp low fat Greek yogurt (2%; or cream cheese, if you want to be naughty)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions.6 oz wholegrain pasta
- Dice the onion, grate or chop the garlic.1 small onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion and garlic, cook until translucent.2 tsp olive oil
- Add the diced tomatoes and spinach.3.5 oz spinach, 1 can tomatoes, diced
- Add the tomato paste, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, sugar and pepper.2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp oregano, dried, 1 tsp basil, dried, 1 pinch chili flakes, Salt and pepper to taste
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the Greek yogurt. Stir until both are dissolved into the sauce. (The lower heat stops the Greek yogurt for overcooking)5 tbsp low fat Greek yogurt
- Now add the hard cheese.1.5 oz hard cheese, grated
- Drain and add the pasta.
- Stir occasionally for 1 minute. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
- Dinner is ready!
NOTES
Nutrition
Here at hurry the food up, creating quick, easy, tasty and nutritious meals is our forte and this tomato spinach recipe is testament to that (more quick veggie dinners here).
And we’re not even done; there’s a lot more in store for you.
Just subscribe to any of our free meal plans and enjoy a world of exciting, easy and wonderful vegetarian recipes!
Dave Bell
I’m not a foodie, although I do love eating. I believe food should serve us and our goals, not hinder. Taking control and responsibility for what I eat is important to me. Lots of veggie protein is my way forward.
Comments
Leave a comment below
54 comments
Love this, I used skim ricotta instead of yoghurt…less acid and more “italian” 🙂
Uh, brilliant swap!! I wish they had skim ricotta over here!
New favourite recipe!
Used cream and cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs, amazing, Thanks!
Yay, awesome to read, Anita!! Really happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for writing!
Had no yogurt. Instead added sour cream, and for protein, red lentils. Very good. Thank you
Sounds like great subs, Sam! I bet it was still great! Thanks for the comment, it may help others in a similar bind!
Made this tonight for dinner. We enjoyed it very much. Very tasty recipe. Love the added spinach and yogurt. Thanks.
Ah, that’s great to hear, Isabel! Glad the pasta turned out tasty 🙂