This throw-it-all-together recipe for One Pot Creamy Greens Pasta is healthy, flexible and easy to make. It’s got a beautiful creamy element without being too heavy. Keep it gluten free by using gluten free pasta.
During the week there are those nights where I just don’t really know what to make for dinner. I haven’t planned anything, and I want to cook something delicious, but I need it to be ready in a flash and I don’t want to trash the kitchen! Those nights are what this One Pot Creamy Greens Pasta is made for.
I wasn’t quite sure what to call this recipe, so I just went with the most literal name I could think of. So it’s One Pot Creamy Greens Pasta because:
- you make this in one pot;
- it uses lots of green veggies;
- it’s a little creamy, in a good way; and
- it involves pasta. Duh!
Like a lot of my recipes, this one is pretty flexible. Yes, you add green veggies to it, but the exact variety of vegetables is up to you. Kale, spinach, rocket, green beans, zucchini, broccoli, peas, broccolini – you can add a little bit of one and a little bit of another. Throw all those odds and ends in there. That’s exactly what I do! I’ve specified exact veggies in the recipe, but you can change it up.
As you can see in the pictures, I also often like to add a little extra protein to my One Pot Creamy Greens Pasta. Usually it’s canned tuna, hot-smoked salmon or leftover rotisserie chicken. If you make the recipe with pulse pasta (that is, pasta made from chickpeas, lentils, etc.) then you get a bit more protein from the pasta too. Added bonus of pulse pasta for me is that it’s typically gluten free, though definitely check the specific brand.
Are you wondering where the creaminess comes from in this recipe?! I don’t know if you might be weirded out when I tell you, but I promise you it really does make it nicely creamy. Promise!
So, the creaminess is from a few spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt and a handful of parmesan cheese. Yes, yoghurt as the pasta sauce, and yes yoghurt mixed with cheese! Really truly, it’s the goods. If you don’t often (or don’t ever) use yoghurt in cooking, this might come as a surprise to you. But think of it like a lighter, fresher take on cream/sour cream. And unlike cream or sour cream, I usually have Greek yoghurt in my fridge anyway, which makes this recipe so practical and useful. No need to buy too many new ingredients to put this together.
The whole process is so simple. Boil some pasta, throw the greens in with the pasta and cook in the same water, drain, stir in the sauce ingredients, done. One Pot Creamy Greens Pasta, there you go!
If you make this recipe I would love to see your creation! Take a snap and tag me @nourish_everyday on Instagram 🙂
One Pot Creamy Greens Pasta
This throw-it-all-together recipe for One Pot Creamy Greens Pasta is healthy, flexible and easy to make. It's got a beautiful creamy element without being too heavy. Keep it gluten free by using gluten free pasta.
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 cups dried pasta I usually use chickpea pasta spirals for a gluten free pasta
- 1 small zucchini
- 3/4 cup broccoli florets
- 1 large handful baby spinach
- 1/2 cup frozen baby peas
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt (unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup grated/shaved Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables by rinsing as needed, and then chop the zucchini and broccoli into small pieces.
Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and add a pinch of salt. Add the pasta to the water and reduce heat so it's bubbling along nicely.
When the pasta only has around 3 minutes to go, add the frozen peas, zucchini and broccoli to the pot to cook with the pasta. For the last 30 seconds or so, add the baby spinach as well so it wilts. Give everything a good stir so it cooks evenly.
Drain the pasta and veggies, reserving a few tablespoons of pasta water. Return the pasta and vegetables to the saucepan and place over a low heat. Stir in the garlic powder, olive oil, yoghurt and parmesan. Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water as needed to create more sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Recipe Notes
*if you have some nice dried herbs on hand you can also add a teaspoon or two of dried herbs for extra flavour. I like to add dried dill, dried chives or a dried Italian herb blend.
*I usually add some protein to this recipe, my favourites are canned tuna, hot smoked salmon or leftover rotisserie chicken.
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