Are you looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal? This one-pan pasta is healthy and flavorful and cooked up and served all from one pan. It's sure to become a favorite in your weeknight round-up.
What exactly is one-pan pasta? Imagine cooking up a complete pasta meal and serving it at the table, all from the same pan!
Sounds too good to be true, right?
But it's not!
Perfectly cooked pasta mixed with shrimp, spinach and garlic in a tasty sauce...all cooked in one pan with no need to drain off any liquid!
There is no big pot of water, no waiting for the water to boil before adding the pasta...yada yada yada..that all adds time and fuss!
With this method, you can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. What's not to love about that?
It all starts with sauteeing the garlic in some oil before adding the shrimp, which cooks up in no time. Remove the garlic and shrimp and add in all the liquid ingredients and pasta and let it get cooking! Once the liquid is reduced by approximately half, it's time to add the shrimp and garlic back to the pan for a couple minutes before tossing in the spinach leaves for a quick wilt.
And voila! Dinner is served!
This one-pan pasta works on so many levels. All the liquid you use is just the right amount to cook the pasta to a perfect al dente. The liquid also thickens from the pasta starches as it cooks, reducing down to a light flavorful sauce that coats all the pasta and shrimp.
Besides perfectly cooked pasta, you've got tender shrimp and a healthy dose of spinach...all contributing to a totally satisfying and complete meal.
The flavor can't be beat with the combination of chicken broth, wine, and garlic...and don't forget the fresh Parmesan served at the table! Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the pasta right being serving for a fresh citrus-y note.
If you're ambitious and want to go beyond the one pan, try serving this up with Spring Balsamic Avocado Feta Salad or with a side of Gluten-Free Parmesan Sage Focaccia!
This one-pan pasta is definitely a weeknight dinner winner that is too easy and too good to pass up! You'll be glad you worked it into your meal rotation!
~ Lisa.
Garlic Shrimp & Spinach One-Pan Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tbs light olive oil
- 4-6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- ½ lb. (225g) raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used tails off)
- ¾ lb. (340g) dry penne pasta (I used gluten-free; use whatever shape pasta you like)
- 1 ½ cups organic chicken broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large handfuls fresh spinach leaves
Instructions
- Heat light olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Saute garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add shrimp and saute with the garlic until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove garlic and shrimp from pan with slotted spoon.
- Add penne, chicken broth, white wine, water, salt and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook the pasta, stirring occasionally.
- When the liquid has reduced by about half, add the shrimp and garlic back to the pan and stir to combine with the pasta.
- Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has thickened slightly.
- Add the spinach leaves and stir into the pasta.
- Remove from the heat and serve straight from the pan!
- Garnish with grated Parmesan, fresh chopped parsley, and lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes
- Use whatever shaped pasta you prefer. I find this recipe works best with small pasta like penne or elbow macaroni, but it can definitely be done with spaghetti or linguine.
- Add other fresh ingredients to the pan such as tomatoes or basil leaves.
- You can also make this with chicken. Just make sure to saute the chicken a minute or two longer at the start to make sure it is completely cooked.
This post was originally published on March 12th, 2018, but was republished in May 2019 with new photos, instructional photos, and writing.
Joe says
My family loves this recipe!!!!
If you are having a lot of people for dinner can you double this recipe and still make it in one pot?
Thanks, Joe! So glad your family likes it! Yes, if you want to double the recipe, just make sure your pot is big enough to handle the quantity!
Donna M. says
This is soooo good. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for making it, Donna! So glad you liked it!
Bob says
Hello! I made this tonight for my partner and me. OMG! Fabulous!!
I added more wine, broth and red pepper flakes. Also, we love Romano cheese, so used that instead, This is a keeper. So glad I stumbled across your recipe! Thank you! Bob
So glad you liked it, Bob! Red pepper flakes and Romano cheese sound like delicious flavor variations to add to the dish!
Kim - The Puffy Biscuit says
How I LOVE a one pot meal! Our weeknights are often busy and it is so good to have a few quick recipes in my back pocket. This looks delicious!
Thanks, Kim! I hope you like it!
Sabrina says
As a working mother nothing beats a fast healthy recipe, this ticks all the boxes (plus my kids LOVE pasta) and is so delicious! Yummy!!! Thank you 🙂
Thanks for the comment, Sabrina! My kids love pasta, too, so they love this dish!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
Quick, one pan meals are a must this time of year. As we roll into the summer season, I want to spend more time outside and less time in the kitchen preparing dinner. This one is perfect for that situation, and looks flavourful too!
I agree, Leanne...less time cooking and more time outside in the summer is ideal!
Jessica says
Such a great one-pan recipe! Love how simple and straightforward it is, Perfect for weeknight dinners!
Thanks, Jessica. I love how easy it comes together!
Elaine Nessman says
We just froze several containers of wild-caught prawns. With gluten-free pasta in the pantry and spinach in my garden, this is on next week's menu! Pinned.
Awesome! I hope you like it, Elaine!
Noreen Hussain says
I am trying this one tonight!!
Fabulous, Noreen! Please let me know how it goes! Take a photo!