One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta
The dinner dilemma is solved. You are going to love this silky fragrant One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta!
What’s not to love about a one pot meal?
One pot, quick, easy, less clean up, less work, and all of the goodness of a homemade meal with love to spare!
This One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta is reminiscent of Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells, without all of the stuffing and the baking, and is considerably lighter and healthier.
I love spinach in just about anything… Salads, cold dishes, hot dishes, stir-fry, even smoothies and muffins.
However, spinach isn’t the only player in this dish. The crunchy walnuts, aromatic shallots, garlic, and nutmeg, not to mention the light creamy ricotta sauce, and the sweet tangy sun dried tomatoes make this One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta recipe one I like to keep on hand.
Made with vegetable broth and plenty of fresh veggies, this One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta is a vegetarian meal. It is easily converted into a gluten-free dish as well, just by using gluten free pasta.
So what are you waiting for? Lets go!
Prepare all of the ingredients for your One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta before you start cooking. Any chopping, peeling, grating, or straining during the cooking process can throw your times off and could cause the pasta to be overcooked.
Remember to save the vegetable scraps in the freezer for your next batch of homemade vegetable stock.
In an extra-large sauté pan on medium-low heat, sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add freshly ground nutmeg and sauté for 1 more minute.
Next, pour in vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta, cover, and cook to al dente.
There should be plenty of liquid in the pot. Be careful not to overcook the pasta, or let the broth evaporate too much. You don’t want your One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta to be dry or mushy.
Finally, on low heat, gently stir in cream and ricotta cheese. Fold in the spinach, walnuts and sun dried tomatoes. Cook a couple more minutes until the spinach is wilted and all ingredients are heated.
That’s it!
See? One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta is quick and tantalizing.
It’s a great family meal for any night of the week!
One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 small shallots, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
- 6 cups vegetable stock, homemade or store-bought
- 1 pound dried pasta (I used trumpets)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces fresh baby spinach, lightly chopped, stems removed
- 1/3 cups sun-dried tomatoes (if in oil, drain)
- 3/4 cups walnut pieces
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Then stir in freshly grated nutmeg, and cook 1 more minute.
- Add the vegetable stock to the pan. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the pasta, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer covered for 8-10 minutes until the pasta is cooked to al dente. Check the instructions for your particular type of pasta, times vary.
- Turn the heat to low. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in ricotta and cream. Gently fold in the spinach, walnuts, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Return the pan to the low heat burner. Cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the spinach is wilted and all ingredients are heated through. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Delicious! There are only two of us so I cut the recipe in half. It was perfect. Enough for dinner and then leftovers for tomorrow. Definitely a keeper recipe.
I made this for my 88 year old father. I left out the walnuts because of recent dental surgery and added Italian sausage for some extra protein. Very yummy! I do think the walnuts would be a nice addition. So good on a cold winter day! Thanks for another great recipe!
Delicious, I made half the recipe but added extra spinach. I will definitely put this in my rotation of meals. My husband went back for second, which says a lot! He’s a big breakfast eater and is real self controlled with dinner portions. Thanks
A lovely recipe that also works well without the sun-dried tomatoes. Perfect for a muggy July day. Thanks.
Loved it
Where did the ingredients list go? Please help!
Hi Diane,
I’m not sure what happened there. So sorry! The recipe is back up.
Hi, a few questions –
1. If I want to make this in the inatant pot, how many cups of broth do I use?
2. Can I use light ricotta cheese?
Hi Sneha,
I have never made this in the Instant Pot so I can’t give you measurements on that. However, you can look at one of our IP pasta recipes and made an educated guess. Here’s a good one: https://www.aspicyperspective.com/easy-instant-pot-bang-bang-shrimp-pasta/
This pasta looks amazing! And so perfect for busy weeknights! :)
Oh my! I am putting this on my next week’s menu! Such a great pasta dish!