• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Sequined Life logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • Γ—

    Home Β» Recipes Β» Healthier Favorites

    Creamy Lemon Spinach One-Pot Pasta

    Published: Dec 3, 2015 Β· Modified: Jul 19, 2018 by Alyssa Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Share via Email

    This Creamy Lemon Spinach One-Pot Pasta is a satisfying and simple weeknight meal that takes just 30 minutes to make! There's no need to drain the pasta and it's dairy-free.

    A plate of pasta in front of the large metal pasta pot.

    It's another 30-Minute Thursday - yayyy! It's no secret that quick meals are where it's at on weeknights. But sometimes throwing leftover protein over salad greens that you hope and pray aren't that wilted gets a little old. Same with leftover protein on bread you hope isn't stale, a PB&J...at least in my house!

    I'm also all about quick and easy clean up (really who wouldn't be?!). Our apartment kitchen is small and we don't have many duplicates of dishes/utensils. When we moved here I was a minimalist wannabe and wanted the least amount of clutter possible. A nice thought, but when you're a food blogger it's self-induced torture. Case in point, I just bought myself a second whisk and it felt like the splurge of the century to not have to stop in my tracks mid-recipe to wash my one whisk over and over. Luxury!

    Anyway, since one moderately-detailed recipe can clear out our cabinets and fill up our dishwasher in one fell swoop, I've been eying up one-pot main dishes big time...especially one-pot pastas. Pasta that absorbs up all the liquid and doesn't need to be drained? Easy, easy, easy. Plus we get to skip the step where I drain pasta and my glasses fog up from the steam. "I don't always drain my pasta, but when I do it's when I'm wearing glasses."

    A fork twirled into a serving of pasta on a plate.

    Now let's talk flavor. To start off this creamy lemon spinach one-pot pasta, the holy culinary trinity of olive oil, onion, and garlic are sautéed in the bottom of a big pot. Then spaghetti is cooked in a mixture of chicken broth and lite coconut milk, which sets the stage for a creamy and dairy-free sauce. Yes!

    Toward the end of the cook time, a whole lot of spinach leaves are added along with a few herbs and spices, and everything is left to cook for a few more minutes, until the spinach has greatly reduced and most of (if not all) the liquid has been absorbed. Plate it up and there you go - creamy lemon spinach one-pot pasta perfection.

    What's great about this one-pot pasta is that you can easily customize it to fit your tastes:

    • Once the pasta has absorbed the chicken broth and lite coconut milk mixture it's cooked in, you can add an extra drizzle or two of coconut milk and toss the spaghetti to coat if you'd like a creamier sauce.
    • You can add a ton more red pepper flakes for a serious spice kick, or omit them entirely.
    • You can use walnuts or your favorite nut for savory recipes in place of the pine nuts, or omit entirely.
    • You can substitute vegetable broth in place of the chicken for a fully vegan dish.
    • You can use dairy milk/cream in place of the coconut milk if dairy ain't no thang for you. In this case I suggest loading up the final product with a heavy sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. πŸ˜‰

    Pasta, spinach, sauce, and pine nuts cooked together in a large pot.

    Brian likes pasta (because duh, it's pasta), but it's never his first pick when it comes to dinner. It probably isn't even his second pick either. The fact that he moseyed over to the stove and helped himself to some extra of this pasta was the highest form of praise in my opinion. That, and I also snuck a few forkfuls cold from the fridge the next morning if that says anything. This creamy lemon spinach one-pot pasta is a keeper!

    A fork twirled into a serving of pasta on a plate.

    Creamy Lemon Spinach One-Pot Pasta

    Alyssa
    This Creamy Lemon Spinach One-Pot Pasta is a satisfying and simple weeknight meal that takes just 30 minutes to make! There’s no need to drain the pasta and it’s dairy-free.
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Main Dish
    Servings 4
    Calories 333 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • Β½ onion, diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
    • 1 cup lite coconut milk, plus extra at end if desired
    • ΒΌ teaspoon salt
    • ΒΌ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 8 oz uncooked spaghetti
    • ΒΌ - Β½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
    • Juice and zest of one large lemon
    • 2 Β½ cups packed fresh spinach
    • 3-4 basil leaves, chopped
    • 3 tablespoon pine nuts

    Instructions
     

    • Heat olive oil in a large pot set over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic and let cook until onions have begun to brown.
    • Add chicken broth, 1 cup of lite coconut milk, salt, pepper, and spaghetti. Let mixture reach a boil, and then lower temperature to medium to medium-low heat. Cover and let cook until the spaghetti has absorbed nearly all of the liquid, stirring periodically. This took about 15 minutes for me.
    • Stir in red pepper flakes, lemon juice, lemon zest, and spinach until everything is well-mixed and cook until the spinach has reduced and is tender. Before serving, stir in chopped basil and pine nuts. If you'd like an even creamier sauce, pour in an extra drizzle or two of lite coconut milk and toss to heat slightly and coat all of the spaghetti evenly.

    Notes

    When reheating leftovers, I suggest adding an extra drizzle of coconut milk prior to heating to maintain the creaminess.

    Psssst - My first contribution to 30-Minute Thursday was a recipe for Italian sausage quesadillas, which has worked its way into our weeknight meal routine. Sometimes we'll sub in leftover chicken if we have it around, making it even quicker but just as tasty. πŸ™‚ You can check out the other 30-minute meal recipes from this month by scrolling down!

    30 Minute Thursday graphic

    One Pot Lemon Thyme Chicken and Rice from Bake.Eat.Repeat.

    Easy Baked Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Mozzarella from Floating Kitchen

    Shrimp Scampi Zoodles from Flying on Jess Fuel

    Chicken Parmesan Meatballs with Easy Tomato Sauce from Kristine's Kitchen

    One Pan Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo from Pumpkin 'N Spice

    One-Pot Parmesan Risotto with Sausage and Kale from Whole and Heavenly Oven

    « Cranberry Almond Matcha Macaroons
    Chocolate Toffee Fudge Trifle »
    • Facebook
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarita Lee says

      March 14, 2023 at 8:07 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! Complex flavor. Lemony, basil. Light, fresh, creamy, rich with a kick of spice! A definite repeat in our household

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        March 17, 2023 at 7:50 am

        I'm so happy you liked it, Sarita! Thanks for letting me know how it went. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Jessica says

      December 03, 2017 at 2:32 pm

      This was absolutely delicious! I've been looking for a creamy vegan pasta to cut down my dairy intake without giving up my love for creamy pasta. I used full fat coconut milk and a chicken-style boullion cube instead of chicken stock and was in heaven. Next time I might add in mushrooms or asparagus to add in some extra veggies. Very tasty!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        December 05, 2017 at 3:26 pm

        So glad you liked it, Jessica! I might add in asparagus or mushrooms next time, too - those sound like a delicious addition. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    3. lindsey says

      April 27, 2017 at 1:44 pm

      This recipe was surprisingly delicious and so simple!

      My entire life fettuccine alfredo was my favorite meal. Since going dairy-free, creamy pasta has never been the same and I've tried TONS of recipes - this one fits the bill! Plus, not only is it one-pot but the ingredients are simple, too, and I generally have them around.

      I agree with another comment, it has a subtle lemon flavor. I like things super lemony so next time I will add more.
      I made a few other changes to accommodate what I had on hand - veggie broth instead of chicken (although I bet the chicken is more flavorful!), full-fat coconut milk, and I toasted pepitas instead of pine nuts. Seems like shallot would be nice addition, may try that next time.

      This will definitely be a resident recipe, thank you!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        May 05, 2017 at 6:17 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this pasta, Lindsey! Toasted pepitas sound delicious on this...may have to try those next time!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of a woman smiling with a text overlay reading well, hey there.

    Hi! I’m Alyssa and welcome to my food blog. Here you can find a variety of food and drink recipes, running the gamut from better-for-you main dishes to holiday fare, and from lighter bites to some serious desserts. All with the occasional cocktail recipe thrown in for good measure, too. ♥ Learn more β†’

    As Featured In...

    A collage of publication logos.

    Simple, Tested Basics

    • All of the taco seasoning ingredients poured into a bowl before mixing together.
      The Best Homemade Taco Seasoning
    • Well-roasted sweet potato cubes on a sheet pan.
      Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted broccoli on a sheet pan.
      Oven Roasted Frozen Broccoli
    • A wooden spoon scooping caramelized onions in a saucepan.
      How to Caramelize Onions
    • Baked croutons on a rimmed baking sheet.
      How to Make Croutons
    • A ball of pizza dough on a wooden cutting board.
      Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
    • A close-up of an air fryer baked potato served with a pat of butter and chives.
      Air Fryer Baked Potato
    • Three whole roasted garlic heads on a plate.
      How to Roast Garlic

    Popular Recipes

    • Shredded buffalo chicken in the Instant Pot with a serving spoon.
      Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
    • Peanut butter cookies on a sheet of parchment paper.
      Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
    • A plate of Italian turkey meatballs with marinara dipping sauce.
      Italian Baked Turkey Meatballs
    • A serving bowl of collard greens.
      Southern Instant Pot Collard Greens
    • Iced anise cookies lined up on a wire rack.
      Italian Anise Cookies
    • Shredded cooked chicken in buffalo sauce in a slow cooker.
      Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Contact

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Statement

    More

    • Recipe Index
    • Dinner Hall of Fame
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Air Fryer Favorites

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright Β© 2013 - 2023 My Sequined Life