Sometimes it is difficult to find a meal that is healthy, everybody loves, and won’t break the bank. This 30-Minute One-Pot Pasta Bake is a home run because it meets all three of these qualifiers. And here’s the kicker, you can make this One-Pot Pasta Bake in 30 minutes! This is one of my top “go-to” meals during the week because it is an easy recipe to remember. I also find it is a convenient dish to leave on the stove if your family members eat at different times. Let me show you how to make it:
Follow These Steps to Make the Perfect 30-Minute One-Pot Pasta Bake
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
Start by boiling water in a saucepan and preparing 8 oz of noodles according to the instructions. I use penne and elbow noodles in this One-Pot Pasta Bake, depending on what I have on hand. (You can be working on this while continuing with the following steps to save more time). If you want to make sure your pasta comes out perfect every time, see these 4 simple tips.
Even one pot feels like one too many tonight?
Pick up Heidi's pizza pasta bake instead.
Step 2: Prep the Veggies
While the water is boiling, dice an onion. Then pour out a 5 oz bag of spinach and pull off the stems. When your pasta is finished, set it aside in the colander, reserving a cup of the pasta water for later.
Step 3: Sauté Onion and Garlic
Using your cast iron skillet or oven-safe sauté pan, drizzle in a tablespoon of olive oil. Heat the onion and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic in the oil until the onion becomes translucent. It will probably take about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Add Meat and Seasonings
Now add 1 pound of ground beef or turkey and break it apart into small chunks.
While the meat is browning, add in 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. It is important to add spices to meat as it is browning because they adhere better to the meat during the heating process. The sauce will have a more robust flavor this way.
Step 5: Add Broth and Tomatoes
When the meat is browned, add in 1 1/4 cup of low-sodium chicken broth.
Pour in a can (14.5 oz) of unsalted diced tomatoes and stir it all together. Bring it to a boil.
Step 6: Combine Pasta and Spinach
Grab the pasta water you reserved earlier and pour it over the penne while it is still in the colander. This will loosen the noodles but keep the flavor. Add them to the skillet and stir.
In small batches, add the spinach and stir while it wilts. If you don’t have spinach, you can use robust lettuce (like romaine), cabbage leaves, or bok choy. When there is more room, add the rest.
Step 7: Melt the Cheese (Optional)
Just to kick it up a notch, sprinkle some mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top and put the whole skillet into the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts. Sometimes I skip this step because I don’t need the extra calories from the cheese, but my husband and kids love this part!
The Finished Product
Here is the finished One-Pot Pasta Bake where I used elbow noodles! Imagine the look on your family’s faces when you pull this out of the oven!
Serving Suggestions and Nutrition Facts
Here is my bowl! What a simple, healthy dinner that only takes 25-30 minutes to make! Each bowl (about 1.5 cups) is about 460 calories and 16 grams of fat, even less if you use turkey meat and leave out the cheese. (Nutrition facts come from Cooking Light where I adapted this recipe). You can’t feel guilty about that! This One-Pot Pasta Bake also works well for leftovers because the flavors have a chance to meld together.
Try This Recipe and More!
This easy 30-minute One-Pot Pasta Bake is one of my family’s favorite recipes. It can be made with turkey and beef or you can even go meatless for a healthy vegetarian option. Use penne or elbow noodles or whatever you have on hand. However you make it, you’ll have a cheesy and delicious Italian feast to delight your family!
Think you might try this One-Pot Pasta Bake recipe? Here’s a pretty pin to save for later or feel free to share it on Facebook. If you need more quick and easy meal ideas, you may want to follow my 30 Minute Meal Madness and One-Pot Wonders Boards on Pinterest. Happy Cooking ya’ll!
30-Minute One-Pot Pasta Bake
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the pasta according to the package. Drain in a colander, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Meanwhile, dice the onion and de-stem the spinach.
- In a cast iron skillet or oven-safe sauté pan, heat the olive oil and cook the onion and garlic about 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add the ground meat, breaking it up, and season with the oregano, salt and pepper as it browns.
- Add the chicken broth and diced tomatoes, stir and bring to a boil.
- Pour the reserved pasta water over the pasta in the colander to loosen it, then add the pasta to the skillet. Stir in the spinach in batches until wilted.
- Optional: top with mozzarella and Parmesan and put the skillet in the oven a few minutes until the cheese melts.
