Easy dinner for the win! Quick one-pot dinners like this Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta are some of my favorites. Everyone likes to feel accomplished by whipping up a from-scratch meal without too much effort, right? This dish even features a homemade sauce, and it is still super painless to throw together.

The sauce is a simple blend of seasoned roasted tomatoes, a bit of vegetable broth and tangy cream cheese, with one surprise ingredient: soy sauce. You don’t actually taste the soy sauce; it just adds a depth of flavor, punch of umami and really makes the tomatoes pop — after trying tomato sauce with a dash of soy sauce, you’ll never make it any other way.

Fresh spinach is sautéed with garlic and onions and mixed into the pasta to round things off. Don’t forget a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan upon serving!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz. pasta of choice (we used Trader Joe’s Red Lentil Sedanini), cooked according to package directions

• 12 Roma tomatoes

• 1 t. garlic powder

• 1 t. onion powder

• 2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 c. vegetable broth

• 3 T. minced garlic

• 1/4 c. fresh basil, julienned

• 1 T. soy sauce

• 3 oz. light cream cheese

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced

• 10 oz. fresh spinach

• Olive oil

• Salt & pepper, to taste

• Shredded mozzarella cheese, to garnish

STEPS

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the Roma tomatoes in half and toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil + 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes. Season with salt & pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the tomatoes cut-side up. Roast in the oven for one hour.

2) Once the tomatoes are done roasting, blend them in a food processor with 1 cup of vegetable broth.

3) Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large pot or skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons of the tomato purée + 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Sauté for two minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the tomato purée and 1/4 cup fresh basil. Sauté for two minutes, then add the remaining tomato purée + 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and a fair about of cracked black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. 

4) After 15 minutes, reduce heat to low and add 3 oz. light cream cheese. Whisk consistently for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and mix in the cooked pasta until the pasta is fully coated. Cover with a lid until the spinach is ready.

5) Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons minced garlic and the minced yellow onion. After 1.5 minutes, add a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes. Add 10 oz. fresh spinach, then reduce heat to medium and sauté until the spinach is wilted.

6) Mix the spinach into the pasta. Serve and top with shredded Parmesan cheese + additional crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.