Spinach One-Pot Pasta

By Yasmin Fahr

Published July 23, 2024

Spinach One-Pot Pasta
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(1,331)
Comments
Read comments

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
  • 12ounces short-shaped pasta, such as orecchiette or fusilli
  • 1pound mature spinach, tough ends trimmed, or about 1¼ pounds (two 10-ounce bags) baby spinach
  • Olive oil
  • 4 to 6oil-packed anchovies, depending on preference
  • ¾cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing, if desired
  • ¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 1lemon, halved
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

498 calories; 13 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 71 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 608 milligrams sodium

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
1,331 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.

Adjustments

I added the spinach on top of the boiling water which helped cook it down tremendously. I also added a bit of garlic and butter to oil so it wouldn’t burn before I added the anchovies. This made it particularly delicious. The pasta water is a non-negotiable, you have to add it for this dish to work.

Paula

Works perfectly with thawed spinach that is squeezed dry. I add the spinach to the pot with the oil and anchovies (and often chopped garlic) and sauté it briefly then continue with the pasta and other ingredients. Perfecto! This is also a quick and easy way to do Marcella Hazan’s classic pastas with cauliflower or broccoli.

Suzanne

I added lemon zest and juice from another half a lemon and based on some of these comments roughly chopped the spinach

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