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This easy and cheesy pasta recipe is a family-friendly one-pot dinner favorite. It is packed with vegetables and comes together in just 30 minutes!
One Pot Cheesy Pasta
This cheesy vegetable pasta dish is everything I want to eat right now. It’s warm, comforting, and couldn’t be easier to make. Plus it is packed with nutrition from all the vegetables and tomatoes. If you have thirty minutes, some pasta, and any fresh or frozen vegetables – you can make this.
From start to finish this is a 30-minute meal made in one pan so clean up is a breeze. It also uses ingredients that you probably already have on hand. This is a great meal to fit a family! If you’re looking for other easy recipes, try one of these 40+ One Pan Recipes Using Pantry Staples!
What ingredients do you need for this One Pot Pasta recipe?
- Italian Sausage
- Minced garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Zucchini- chopped
- Spinach- chopped
- Canned tomatoes
- Broth- vegetable or chicken will work
- Milk- animal or plant-based
- Tomato sauce
- Noodles
- Mozzarella cheese
How to Make One-Pot Cheesy Italian Pasta
First, in a large skillet brown the sausage over medium heat and drain off any grease. Second, add the zucchini, spinach, and garlic to the skillet and saute for a few minutes to cook off any moisture. Add the drained can of tomatoes, broth, milk, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning, stir well.
Next, increase heat to medium-high until the mixture begins to simmer. Stir in noodles and reduce heat to low, cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes. When noodles are tender stir in shredded mozzarella cheese. Just six simple steps give you an easy one-pan pasta dish that has tons of flavor!
Tips for the Best Cheesy Pasta
This recipe can definitely be tweaked to your liking or to what you have on hand.
Meat – The Italian sausage can be swapped for different meat like chicken, ground beef/turkey, or meatballs. If you want to make this meal vegan you can swap the sausage with white beans.
Seasonings – if you don’t have Italian seasoning you can use dried basil and oregano instead.
Vegetables – zucchini and spinach is my favorite combination in this dish however, baby kale, chard, arugula, basil, or your favorite leafy green could be substituted for the spinach. Almost any vegetable could be substituted for the zucchini. Broccoli, bell pepper, corn, summer squash, cauliflower, mushrooms, frozen/canned peas, and carrots, artichokes, etc. All of these would be great options!
How to Store and Reheat Cheesy Pasta
To store this pasta, place in a glass or plastic container with an airtight lid and put into the fridge. This pasta will stay fresh for up to four days. To reheat, place on a microwave safe plate and warm in 30 second increments. You can also warm this on the stove top, just add a little extra broth so it doesn’t dry out.
More Easy One Pot Recipes
- Cheesy Chicken & Spinach Pasta
- Skillet Philly Cheesesteak
- Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
- One Pan Mexican Chicken and Rice
- Bacon Cheeseburger Mac
One-Pot Cheesy Italian Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian Sausage
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 small zucchini sliced
- 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 (15 ounces) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup broth, chicken or beef broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 (8 ounces) can tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cup elbow noodles, I use Barilla gluten-free elbows
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet brown the sausage over medium heat, drain off any grease.
- Add the sliced zucchini, spinach, and minced garlic to the skillet and saute for a few minutes to cook off any moisture
- Add the drained can of tomatoes, broth, milk, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning, stir well.
- Increase heat to medium-high until the mixture begins to simmer.
- Stir in noodles and reduce heat to low, cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.
- When noodles are tender stir in shredded mozzarella cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
