One-Pot Creamy Pasta and Greens

By Ali Slagle

Updated Jan. 22, 2021

One-Pot Creamy Pasta and Greens
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Sstylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(1,287)
Comments
Read comments

In this recipe, frozen spinach, pasta and a whole lot of milk come together to create a satisfying pasta dish that will remind you of the best creamed spinach you’ve ever had. Stir the mixture often and vigorously to help the pasta release its starch and create a rich sauce. The lemon peel provides a bright citrus flavor, but you can leave it out. If you’d like a spicy version, add a dash of red-pepper flakes along with the shallot and garlic. You can also substitute different greens: Instead of frozen spinach, you can use 2 cups of chopped dark leafy greens, like chard or kale.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1shallot, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 5cups whole milk, plus more as needed
  • 10ounces frozen chopped spinach
  • 2wide lemon peel strips
  • 10ounces ditalini, orzo or pearl couscous
  • ½cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

611 calories; 21 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 77 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 1144 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 4 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the 5 cups milk, spinach, lemon peel and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the frozen spinach with your spoon, until the spinach is softened and the milk is just simmering, 5 to 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the pasta and cook, stirring often and vigorously, until the pasta is al dente, 20 to 25 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. If it looks dry at any point, add more milk. The mixture will continue to thicken as it sits, so it’s OK if the sauce looks a little soupy.

  4. Step 4

    Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat, discard the lemon peels, and stir in the Parmesan until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with more Parmesan.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,287 user ratings
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Comments

Emily

Absolutely delicious. I added a bit of white wine and let it cook down with the shallots and garlic. I also added a can of artichoke hearts at the very end. Highly recommend!

RM

Decided to do 1/2 water 1/2 milk (2.5 cups of both) for less calories and it was still super delicious and creamy. Also added peas! Yum!

BA

Very high reward:effort ratio, can see this being a weeknight regular. Added some beans to round it out, full pound each of orzo and spinach, was perfect al dente in only 10 min with 5 cups of milk.

Katie

We make this with almond milk and add a little miso to make it more savory. Often we skip the cheese and add nutritional yeast to make it totally vegan. We’ve added frozen peas and broccoli, too.

Doug

I followed the recipe. The half-hour of stirring was not worth the result, which was creamy but bland. To the leftovers, I added lemon juice and red pepper, and thought that was a big improvement. Next time I'll use the various suggestions as to more lemon rind, garlic and shallot, and added wine and red pepper flakes. I'll thaw the spinach first, or use fresh; and boil the pasta separately to "al dente" before adding it to the milk. It won't be "one-pot" but it will be a lot less tedious.

Jacqueline S.

Very tasty as written. Added the nutmeg and lemon juice as suggested. But a very light meal. The suggestion of adding white beans is good one. Would be best as a lunch or dinner soup. I eat many vegetarian meals, but this was a little too light for a main course meal for dinner.

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