Vegetarian spaghetti makes an easy, healthy one-pot pasta dinner!
PREP TIME 5 minutes
COOK TIME 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 (8 oz.) package button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 10 oz. thin spaghetti noodles (I use whole wheat)
- 3 cups fresh spinach or baby spinach
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- For serving: 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil or parsley (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and saute for 5-7 minutes, until tender and the liquid from the mushrooms has been mostly cooked off.
- Add garlic and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using) and saute another 30 seconds.
- Increase heat to high then add canned tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.
- Add spaghetti noodles and stir until they wilt and fit in the pot. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes. (Your liquid should be at a low boil this whole time.)
- Remove lid and add fresh spinach, a couple of handfuls at a time, stirring to get the spinach mixed in and wilted.
- Remove from heat and let spaghetti sit, covered, for a few minutes
- Stir in Parmesan cheese, taste and adjust seasonings.
- Serve with fresh basil or parsley and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
NOTES
- You can substitute cremini or portobello mushrooms for the regular button mushrooms if you prefer. And you can add any extra veggies you have on hand: peppers, zucchini, and broccoli would all be great. Add them with the onions and mushrooms and saute everything together until it’s slightly tender.
- Some Parmesan cheese may not be considered strictly vegetarian (see the post above for details), so you can substitute an Italian-style hard cheese here. If you want to make this recipe vegan, just substitute nutritional yeast or your favorite vegan cheese in place of the Parmesan.
- Or if you’re not vegan or vegetarian, you can stir in some cooked, shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken with the spinach at the end to warm it through and make a more hearty meal.
- You could also stir in 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese if you want a super cheesy pasta.