Tonight I wanted easy comfort food. As I have said before, that means pasta of any kind. This tomato basil pasta is so good and so easy that it is almost laughable. In fact, you can laugh while you are finishing the dishes in under 5 minutes!
I like to think of this is a great base recipe. It stands alone really well but my carnivore “housemates” don’t usually make happy faces when presented with an all veggie meal. If you have “housemates” like mine, feel free to throw in some shrimp, shredded chicken, cooked sausage, or even some rinsed and drained cannellini beans at the end for some added protein.
First, I start by sautéing the onion and garlic over a medium heat in a large pot until they are soft and fragrant.
Then I add the thyme, red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt. Cook it for just a minute longer.
Then I dump in the tomatoes and chicken broth, stir, and bring to a boil over the same medium heat. Letting it take a little longer to come to a boil helps the flavors blend, so try to refrain from cranking up the heat to get it boiling! Once it starts bubbling I add the pasta, give a stir, and cover it. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the pasta is almost done. It has to sit for a few minutes after you add the spinach so it will continue to cook. If it is perfect now, it will be mushy when you eat it.
Then I add the spinach and basil, stir, put the cover back on, turn off the heat and let it sit for a minute or two. This is the time to add your protein and let it heat up while the spinach wilts.
Now it is done! Give it a quick taste and adjust the seasonings… especially if you added some protein. They can, occasionally, be flavor suckers. 🙂
Enjoy!
Keilee
Yields 4 servings
This one pot meal is full of comforting Italian flavors and comes together in a snap. It cleans up even easier!
5 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
25 minTotal Time
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic, about 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 10 ounces whole grain pasta (such as brown rice, quinoa, chickpea)
- 1/3-1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves , to taste
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil over a medium heat in a large pot or deep skillet.
- Sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Add the oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and dried thyme leaves to the pot and stir.
- Cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes with juice and chicken broth to the pot.
- Bring to a boil over the medium heat.
- Once it is boiling, add the pasta to the pot and stir.
- Cover the pot and reduce to medium-low heat.
- Set the timer for 1 minute less than the directions for "al dente" on the pasta box or bag.
- When the time is up, add the spinach and basil to the pot. Stir and replace the cover.
- Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for 2-3 minutes, until the spinach wilts and the pasta is tender.
Notes
Inspired by: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-tomato-basil-sauce
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