Spinach Pasta with Ricotta
One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta is a quick and easy dish that combines fresh spinach and creamy ricotta with al dente pasta, all cooked in a single pot! This delicious and nutritious meal offers a delightful blend of flavors and minimal cleanup, perfect for busy weeknights.
Why We Love This One-Pot Spinach Pasta with Ricotta
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! It is perfect for a weeknight meal!
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!
Ingredients You Need
- Shallots & Garlic – starts to build flavor!
- Nutmeg – for a depth of flavor
- Vegetable Stock – for a vegetarian pasta, use vegetable stock.
- Pasta – I used trumpets, but you can use your favorite short pasta shape!
- Heavy Cream – for a creamy sauce
- Ricotta – adds flavor and texture to the sauce
- Spinach – use fresh baby spinach
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – if packed in oil, drain well
- Walnuts – chopped walnuts add texture
- Salt & Black Pepper – to taste
How to Make Spinach Pasta with Ricotta
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.
Pro Tip! Remember to save the vegetable scraps in the freezer for your next batch of homemade vegetable stock.
In an extra-large skillet or 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! Top it off with parmesan cheese to serve!
Tips & Tricks
- Add extra vegetables! You can make this pasta exactly how you want! Some variations include adding mushrooms, zucchini or peas for added veggies!
- Use your favorite pasta shape. I like to use pasta shapes that have a hole that can pick up all the creamy sauce! But you can use anything, from spaghetti to penne pasta.
- To brighten up the flavor, serve with a squeeze of lemon juice from a lemon wedge!
- For added spice, add a few shakes of red pepper flakes to this pasta dish!
Serving Suggestions
This vegetarian spinach pasta with ricotta is perfectly delicious on its own! But you can serve it with a variety of side dishes or a protein of your choice, especially if feeding a crowd! Try serving it with:
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make this spinach ricotta pasta recipe totally gluten-free by replacing the pasta with your favorite gluten-free pasta!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days! Reheat in the microwave until heated through. Avoid freezing this pasta for later, since the textures will not be the same after thawing.
Looking for More Easy Pasta Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Picatta Pasta
- Greek Shrimp Pasta
- Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta
- Hearts of Palm Pasta
Spinach Pasta with Ricotta
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!