One Pot Tomato, Goat Cheese & Spinach Pasta

This one pot tomato, goat cheese and spinach pasta is a tasty and comforting complete meal conveniently made in one pot.

One pot pastas are a genius way to eat well on busy weeknights when you don't have the energy to make a fuss about dinner but still want to eat something healthy and homemade.

I recently also make a one pot creamy sun-dried tomato rigatoni which is equally delicious.

This one pot pasta calls for very little prep and can be ready in about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

This easy one pot tomato, goat cheese and spinach pasta is made with simple, whole food ingredients.

• Dried spaghetti: I used De Cecco dried spaghetti with a cook time of 10 minutes for al dente. You can swap out whatever kind of dried pasta you have - just adjust the cooking time according to the package directions.
• Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes add flavor to the sauce and give a bit of texture too. You can substitute canned tomatoes if that's all you have.
• Spinach: I love using frozen spinach in dishes like this because it's ready to use and I can just toss it in the pot without any additional steps (no washing and cutting = time savings). You can also use fresh spinach but I suggest giving it at least a rough chop so it isn't in huge chunks.
• Goat cheese: Goat cheese goes so well with the other flavors in this dish. If you want to swap out for another cheese, add that cheese after cooking not before to avoid the high heat doesn't curdle it or make it separate. Goat cheese is resistant to curdling from high heat unlike other cheeses.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a lot of flavor here but if you don't have it then substitute half a teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Olive oil: To sauté the garlic and chicken or other protein.
• Seasoning: Salt, dried oregano, black pepper, chili flakes, and a touch of sugar.
• Ground chicken: The ground chicken is optional. You can also switch it up for diced chicken breast or thigh, or otherwise swap in chickpeas or even walnut crumble to make the dish vegetarian. You can simply do the prep the same way for any of those substitutions.

Instructions

The first thing is to sauté the garlic in olive oil along with the ground chicken and all the seasonings.

Once the chicken is lightly browned, you can add in the chopped spinach and tomatoes.

Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes until they soften, and then you can lay in the spaghetti and goat cheese. Finally, pour in the water.

Try to press the spaghetti so it's fanned out in the pot (this prevents it from sticking). Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, but make sure to stir it every five minutes or so - again to prevent the spaghetti from sticking.

In my experience spaghetti is particularly prone to sticking together when made in this one pot style but it won't stick if you are sure to mix it.

You can also substitute other types of dried pasta - they should also be stirred regularly.

After 15 minutes the pasta should be cooked. Do a quick bite test to make sure it is, and then adjust the seasoning to your taste.

If the sauce in the pot isn't thick enough, cook on high heat for a few minutes (stirring all the while) until it thickens to your preference.

Likewise, if the sauce is too thick, add in ¼ cup of water and stir it vigorously over high heat until a nice sauce forms.

You can also garnish with fresh basil if you like.

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Recipe