One Pot Macaroni With Creamy Spinach Sauce

Pasta might not be considered the healthiest of foods, but a nice weekend workout deserves some warm, comforting pasta with a delicious creamy sauce. Especially so, if you are able to sneak in a lot of nutrition in the pasta meal! Here’s one way of doing that - this creamy one pot pasta is cooked in the sauce itself. The starch from the pasta helps thicken the sauce without having to add any cheese or cream. Pureed spinach adds a good dose of vitamins and a bright pop of color to the meal. I used broccoli and corn, but any other vegetables can be added to the pasta. To complete the meal with protein, serve it with boiled eggs or grilled chicken.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

2 tsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic - minced

1 cup chopped broccoli

¼ cup corn

4 oz elbow macaroni - uncooked

1 cup water

1 cup packed spinach

½ cup skimmed milk

Salt, ground black pepper, chili flakes (to taste)

2 boiled eggs (optional)

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Lemon juice (optional)

Heat oil over medium heat. Add the veggies and garlic, saute for a couple minutes to let the garlic cook. Add the uncooked pasta, and saute for a minute. Add 1 cup of water, deglaze the pan, add salt, pepper and/or chili flakes and cook covered for 2-3 minutes. While pasta is cooking, add the spinach and milk to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the pureed mixture to the pasta, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked. Add more water or milk if required.

Serve hot topped with boiled eggs. Sprinkle fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

~Gayatri

Note: 
Other one pot pastas you might like -
Spaghetti in a tomato based sauce with spinach and mushrooms
Pasta with creamy garlic sauce

Find us on Facebook:

One pot pasta with creamy garlic sauce

The convenience of a one pot meal is extremely appealing, and for certain dishes, like pasta, it even helps enhance the taste and texture. Cooking the pasta in the sauce helps soak up the flavors better and it also thickens the sauce. A good example of a delicious one pot pasta is the Italian One-derpot which has a tomato based sauce and can be customized to your taste with the vegetables you like. I wanted to try a pasta with creamy sauce with the one pot convenience, and found this garlic parmesan pasta recipe quite interesting. I added some asparagus and mushrooms, increased the quantity of garlic to make the sauce really garlicky, reduced the amount of cheese and butter, and adjusted the liquids as required. This pasta is so rich and creamy - its hard to tell that there’s no cream and hardly any cheese in the sauce.

Ingredients: (~3 servings)

½ Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped portobello mushrooms (or other kind)

1 cup chopped asparagus

Other vegetables that would work really well: broccoli, carrots, snap peas

¾ - 1 cup milk

~2 cups water or vegetable broth

1 tsp unsalted butter or margarine

4 oz dry fettuccine pasta - uncooked

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and saute the mushrooms and garlic for a couple minutes. Add ¾ cup of milk and about 1.5 cups of water. Add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Add the fettuccine and let the liquid come to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus and simmer for another 5-10 min until pasta is al dente (make sure to stir a couple times). Add more water and/or milk if required. Remove from heat and mix in the parmesan cheese. Serve warm garnished with chopped herbs and extra parmesan cheese if desired.

~Gayatri

Note: Since you're not draining and cooling the cooked pasta under cold water as you would usually do (when pasta is cooked separately), it will continue to cook a little in the hot pan with the sauce even after you take it off the heat. So, make sure not to overcook the pasta.


Like us on Facebook: 

Delicious pasta with mushrooms, asparagus and creamy garlic sauce - cooks in a single pot saving time and cleaning...

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Thursday, June 25, 2015