This lighter One Pot Tuscan Pasta recipe is packed with flavor! Made in under 30 minutes using sun-dried tomatoes, ground chicken or turkey and fresh baby spinach. Optionally dairy free and so easy to make on any night of the week!
I moved into a new apartment a few weeks ago and amidst all chaos of unpacking, I really didn’t feel like taking on any major cooking projects. This One Pot Tuscan Pasta was the perfect recipe to get me through the week! It takes barely any time to prep and you only need to wash one dish.
The ingredients are pretty simple too. Tuscan-inspired flavors all simmer with the pasta to create a rich and creamy sauce. So delicious, comforting and perfect for any night of the week.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ground chicken or turkey
- Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Yellow onion & garlic
- Baby spinach
- Heavy cream (or coconut cream for dairy free)
- Italian seasoning & paprika
- Low-sodium chicken stock
- Short cut pasta
How to make One Pot Tuscan Pasta
To make this One Pot Tuscan Pasta Recipe, you’re going to start by cooking your protein of choice in a bit of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar. This infuses the chicken or turkey with a rich, umami taste. Using a heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven helps the meat brown and creates more flavor.
Next, add in the onion and garlic. Let those aromatics cook down for a few minutes until softened and fragrant. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and spices and let everything toast for another minute or two.
For a little extra creaminess, add in your choice of coconut cream or heavy cream along with the chicken stock. Bring everything up to a boil and pour in the pasta. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook for about 8-12 minutes. It should be simmering pretty vigorously the whole time. The cook time will vary depending on what pasta shape you choose.
Stir the pasta every couple minutes to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the pasta is cooked al dente and almost all the liquid is absorbed, turn off the heat. Keep in mind that the pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it cools. If the pasta looks dry at any point throughout the cooking process, simply add more stock until the pasta is cooked through.
Tips and Substitutions
- This One Pot Tuscan Pasta recipe uses either ground chicken or ground turkey. I prefer to use 93% lean ground turkey because it has a slightly higher fat content than ground chicken and adds a more savory flavor. I’ve never tried this recipe with other types of ground meat, but I have a feeling lean ground beef would also be delicious!
- To make this pasta recipe dairy-free, use coconut cream. You can buy a whole can of coconut cream or just scrape off solid white part at the top of a can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk.
- Cook time will vary depending on what pasta shape you use. I recommend cavatelli because it cooks relatively quickly and has slots of crevices for the sauce to stick to. Penne or orecchiette are also great choices.
- One Pot Tuscan Pasta will keep in the fridge for about 3-4 days. I’m usually not a fan of reheated pasta, but this one actually warms up pretty nicely in the microwave!
More one pot recipes
- One Pot French Onion Pasta
- One Pot Harissa Pasta Bolognese
- One Skillet Pesto Chicken and Orzo
- One Pot Sun-dried Tomato Farro
- Black Bean Chili with Cornbread Biscuits
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One Pot Tuscan Pasta
This flavorful One Pot Tuscan Pasta is the easiest weeknight dinner! Loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, ground chicken or turkey, Italian herbs, baby spinach, it comes togteher in under 30 minutes and requires barely any cleanup!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomato jar
- 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, plus more as needed
- 8 oz short-cut pasta, such as cavatelli or penne
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach, roughy chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large lidded pot over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, using a spoon to break it into small pieces.
- Once the turkey is just cooked through, add the onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and paprika. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Stir in the heavy cream and chicken stock. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cover the pot and cook for 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pasta is cooked al-dente and almost all the liquid is absorbed. Add more chicken stock if needed.
- Once the pasta is cooked through, turn off the heat and stir in the spinach so it wilts. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.
Notes
Keep in mind that different pasta shapes will have different cook times ans require varying amounts of liquid.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 625Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 515mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 41g
All nutritional info is an estimation
