Healthy One Pot Pasta

Creamy, cheesy, oh so easy, this Healthy One Pot Pasta is the ultimate cozy comfort food. It's soft and saucy with great flavors from garlic, cheese, and sautéed veggies. I make this meal nearly every week as part of my meal prep because it's so delicious and simple. And when I say "one pot," I truly mean only one pot required for this pasta! 

Everything is made in the one pot and you don't even have to strain the pasta. Now that's convenient for anyone who hates doing dishes as much as I do!

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Ingredients for this One Pot Pasta Recipe

These ingredients are simple and convenient, a combination of pantry and fridge products that you may already have! And if you don't, that's okay because this dish is super versatile. Simply make subs for what you do have and go for it!

Ground Chicken or Turkey -  I personally love using the brand Mighty Spark Food because they have a seasoned Bruschetta Chicken that is SO good. It knocks the flavor out of the park and it a house favorite here. You can also omit the meat entirely or sub it for an alternative like roasted tofu or tempeh. 

Pasta - Any pasta will work here but I love to use Barilla or Banza because they have all kinds of shapes and blends for reasonable prices. I usually use the chickpea pasta if possible.

Pasta Sauce - As long as the jar is 16 oz, use any blend and brand available. I prefer a sauce with great garlic & olive oil flavor but will typically go for whatever is on sale at the store! 

Spinach - I love adding a bit of greens to my meals and spinach is so easy to add in. Just give it a quick rinse then toss it in and let wilt. You could also sub for any greens you have in the fridge. 

Tomatoes - Either fresh or canned will work for this one pot pasta recipe. 

Red Onion - Adds a bit of bite and elevates the flavor of the dish.

Filtered Water - Adds moisture to the meal and helps cook the pasta.

Crumbled Feta - An optional add on but gives such great cheesy, salty flavor. You could sub for any type of cheese, whether regular or dairy free.

Italian Seasoning - Also optional but adds great flavor that pairs so well with the sauce and pasta combination. 

How to make this Creamy One Pot Pasta

1. Add the 2 tbsp olive oil to a large (4 or 6 quart) sauce pot and turn on the stove to medium/high heat.
2. Add a package of ground meat and the minced garlic to the pot once oil is heated.
3. While the meat starts to saute, dice the onion, tomatoes, and spinach; add all ingredients to the sauce pot after dicing.
4. The meat should cook for 6-10 minutes, until all the crumbles are evenly colored and not pink.
5. Once the meat is cooked, pour in one jar of the pasta sauce of your choice. Then fill the almost emptied pasta jar up with ½ cup cold filtered water. Cap the jar and swish it around, allowing all of the sauce to be removed from the sides of the jar. Pour the liquid into the sauce pot.
6. Pour a box of noodles into the sauce pot. Using a spatula, stir the dry noodles into the meat sauce mixture. 
7. Turn the heat down to medium and cover the sauce pot.
8. Set a timer for 10-12 minutes, stirring 2-3 times throughout. 
9. Once the noodles look and taste thoroughly cooked, add in ½ cup of crumbled feta and mix well.
10. Serve immediately with fresh basil, additional feta, or plain.
11. Store up in the fridge for 5 days.

Healthy One Pot Pasta Subs

As I mentioned before, this healthy one pot pasta dish can be made in 101 different ways depending on what you have available. Whether you're using up pantry ingredients, buying products on sale, or making it as a 'clean out the fridge' meal, make this dish your own! 

• To make this extra creamy, try adding a dollop of plain/greek yogurt + a pinch more salt!
• For some crunch, try adding roasted or slivered almonds or maybe even breadcrumbs (?!) on top. Either would add great texture to the creaminess of the pasta.  
• Make this a macro friendly meal by using lean ground meat, chickpea pasta, and maybe adding in some extra greens.
• Use a jar sauce of your choice or if you're feeling a bit fancy, make homemade! Sometimes I like to make a special dinner of this by making the sauce homemade using my Italian Roma Tomato Sauce Recipe. It can be a fun kitchen experiment too. 
• Keep this vegan/dairy free by omitting the meat and swapping the crumbled feta for a dairy free cheese alternative. 
• Try different vegetables for different textures in this pasta dish. Some favorites of mine are mushrooms, red pepper slices,  roasted cauliflower, or chopped broccoli. 

Can't get enough pasta? You'll love these recipes too

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Print

Healthy One Pot Pasta

5 from 22 votes

Prep5 mins

Cook15 mins

Total20 mins

Servings4

1x2x3x

Creamy, cheesy oh so easy, this Healthy One Pot Pasta is the ultimate cozy comfort food. It's soft and saucy with great flavors from garlic, cheese, and sautéed veggies.

Author: Courtney Paige

Equipment

• 6 quart sauce pan
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Meat Chopper

Ingredients

• 16 oz ground chicken or turkey*
• 8 oz dry pasta**, 1 box
• 16 oz pasta sauce, flavor of your choice
• ½ cup spinach, chopped
• ½ cup tomatoes, fresh or canned
• ½ cup red onion
• ½ cup filtered water
• ½ cup crumbled feta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons italian seasoning, optional
• 1 tsp minced garlic, optional

Instructions

• Add the 2 tbsp olive oil to a large (4 or 6 quart) sauce pot and turn on the stove to medium/high heat.
• Add a package of ground meat and the minced garlic to the pot once oil is heated.
• While the meat starts to saute, dice the onion, tomatoes, and spinach; add all ingredients to the sauce pot after dicing.
• The meat should cook for 6-10 minutes, until all the crumbles are evenly colored and not pink.
• Once the meat is cooked, pour in one jar of the pasta sauce of your choice. Then fill the almost emptied pasta jar up with ½ cup cold filtered water. Cap the jar and swish it around, allowing all of the sauce to be removed from the sides of the jar. Pour the liquid into the sauce pot.
• Pour a box of noodles into the sauce pot. Using a spatula, stir the dry noodles into the meat sauce mixture.
• Turn the heat down to medium and cover the sauce pot.
• Set a timer for 10-12 minutes, stirring 2-3 times throughout.
• Once the noodles look and taste thoroughly cooked, add in ½ cup of crumbled feta and mix well.
• Serve immediately with fresh basil, additional feta, or plain.
• Store up in the fridge for 5 days.

Notes

• I personally love using the brand Mighty Spark Food because they have a seasoned Bruschetta Chicken that is SO good. You can also omit the meat entirely or sub it for an alternative like roasted tofu or tempeh. 
• Use any pasta available or for a macro friendly meal, use a chickpea pasta.
• To make this vegan/dairy free, swap tofu or tempeh for meat then omit the cheese or use a vegan alternative. 
• You can also swap goat cheese, parmesan, or another cheese that melts well for the feta. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It's my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved, something that you think it might need, or just say hi!

Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?

If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find Healthy One Pot Pasta

1 serving: 57 grams Carbs | 23 grams Fat | 35 grams Protein

**Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.

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