ONE POT PASTA WITH SPINACH AND BASIL

One Pot Pasta with spinach, tomatoes, basil and more!! You literally throw everything into one pot and that’s it! This is the perfect weeknight dinner! Quick and delicious!

• 1 box (1 lb.) long noodle pasta (like spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine)
• 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, whole or thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 cups cherry tomatoes (any kind); sliced in half
• 1 to 2 cups fresh spinach
• 2 handfuls of fresh basil + more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes + more if desired
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4½ cups water
• freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place everything into your pot: the pasta, onions, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Add in the olive oil and then add in the water, starting with 3 cups and adding more (1 cup at a time) as you need it. 4½ cups of water seems to work for me! You want your pasta to be covered in water. Don’t worry about covering the spinach and basil, they will wilt down and cook just fine.
2. Bring everything to a high boil and then, turn down the heat to medium and begin mixing everything up together using tongs. You need to continue mixing and stirring constantly, as the pasta is cooking so your pasta noodles don’t stick together.
3. Let the pasta cook for about 10 to 12 minutes (depending on what type of pasta you are using). Feel free to add more basil at this point if you’d like. Most of the water should be absorbed by the end of the cooking time and you should end up with a lovely pasta dish with amazingly great flavor! If you have a little liquid left, let cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer on low heat and feel free to add in some freshly grated parmesan cheese and stir together. Turn off the heat and mix together one last time. By the time you serve the pasta, all of the liquid should be gone completely. Season with more salt and pepper if desired and serve immediately. Enjoy!
   Author: Hip Foodie Mom
   Recipe type: Main
   Serves: 4 to 6