One-Pot Creamy Tuscan Pasta
Simplify your weeknight dinner routine with this creamy Tuscan pasta. This Italian-inspired dish features tender penne pasta cooked in a milk- and broth-based sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, juicy cherry tomatoes, garlic, and shallots. This adds incredible flavor to the pasta and streamlines the cooking process as the pasta simmers in the sauce in a single pot. When the pasta is tender, baby spinach and Parmesan cheese are stirred in for the finishing touch. This dish has it all: mouthwatering sauce, chewy pasta, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and vibrant spinach. No doubt, everyone will be back for seconds. And with minimal cleanup and maximum satisfaction, this dish is sure to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
for 4 servings
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk, or more as needed
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienne-style, drained
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Preparation
- In a large skillet, add the butter, shallot, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
- Add the tomato paste, oregano, and paprika. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until the tomato paste starts to darken.
- Add the chicken broth, milk, pasta, cherry tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes; season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 18-20 minutes, until the pasta is tender yet firm to the bite.
- Remove from heat and stir in the spinach and Parmesan cheese until the spinach is wilted and the cheese is incorporated
- If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed until the desired consistency is reached.
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
- Enjoy!
