Spinach One-Pot Pasta

By Yasmin Fahr

Published July 22, 2024

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(1,460)
Comments
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This shockingly simple dish achieves success thanks to a small yet mighty powerhouse: Salty, umami-rich anchovies melt into the cooking oil, giving the dish subtle complexity and oomph. This pasta uses only a few ingredients and just one pot, and the method is smart and streamlined: As you boil your pasta, you set your spinach in a colander then drain the cooked pasta directly on top. You’ll dissolve the anchovies in olive oil in the empty pot, then return the cooked pasta and wilted spinach to the pot, along with cheese and red-pepper flakes, stirring to form a glossy sauce that is aided by the moisture released by the spinach. A great back-pocket recipe for nights when prep work seems impossible, this recipe is a satisfying meal all on its own, but feel free to stir in some white beans if you’d like to bulk it up.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • Salt

  • 12 ounces short-shaped pasta, such as orecchiette or fusilli

  • 1 pound mature spinach, tough ends trimmed, or about 1 ¼ pounds (two 10-ounce bags) baby spinach

  • Olive oil

  • 4 to 6 oil-packed anchovies, depending on preference

  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing, if desired

  • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

  • 1 lemon, halved

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

71 grams carbs; 23 milligrams cholesterol; 498 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 608 milligrams sodium; 26 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water.

  2. Step 2

    Place the spinach in a large colander in the sink. Drain the pasta over the spinach. Drizzle with oil and stir to prevent the noodles from sticking.

  3. Step 3

    Wipe out the pot and place over medium-high heat. Carefully add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the anchovies (it might splatter) and stir until they start to dissolve, about 30 seconds.

  4. Step 4

    Pour the pasta and spinach into the pot, add the cheese and red-pepper flakes and stir until a glossy sauce forms and the spinach fully wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. If the pasta looks dry, add the reserved pasta water 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time. Use two forks to separate any spinach clumps, if needed.

  5. Step 5

    Squeeze a lemon half over everything. Taste and season as needed with more salt or lemon. Garnish with more cheese, if desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,460 user ratings
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Comments

Name winifred

Delicious! Couldn’t taste the anchovies and I used 6. Total clumpfest with the spinach. What if instead of draining the pasta over the spinach you threw the spinach into the pasta pot before you drain the pasta, gave it a good stir and drained the pasta and spinach together?

Kathy

Sounds easy & tasty....but I can not eat anchovies. Any suggestions for a substitute?

Krista

Kathy, ume paste (Japanese fermented plum paste) is my favorite vegetarian anchovy substitute.

Amelia

Once the pasta water is boiling this entire dish can come together in 15 minutes. The anchovies add a nice complexity and if you are like me and don’t know what to do with all the spinach growing in your garden this is a great way to use it. I added the spinach to the pasta water before draining to wilt it which was a good suggestion from the comments. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it was great!

Karen L

Delicious. So easy! Would absolutely make again

Ray

I could not taste the anchovies, and in fact wish I had used more. I added the optional beans. It was a little bland for me, but I had spinach I had to use, so it was successful overall. I had a small portion, then adulterated the remaining 80% with a small Italian sausage, some leftover chard, mushrooms, a leftover part of an onion, and more red pepper. I recognize that makes it not really the same dish, but I liked it a bit more. The minimal sausage was just a flavor accent. 3.5 stars.

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