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+ servings

One Pot Pasta with Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce

A quick and easy one pot pasta packed with nutritious greens and a thick, luxurious tomato & mascarpone sauce. Excellent midweek dinner!
4.66 from 329 ratings

Ingredients

  • 500 g (18 oz) dried fusilli
  • 1 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped (you can also use 1/2 of a large one or a couple of shallots)
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 Tbsp dried Italian herbs
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 cans chopped tomatoes, 400g / 14oz cans -I like to use one can of cherry tomatoes + one can of regular chopped tomatoes
  • 140 g (5 oz) tomato paste/puree , you may want more or less depending on how watery your canned tomatoes are
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 950 ml (4 cups) boiling water , or vegetable stock - see notes
  • A few handfuls of fresh basil
  • 250 g (9 oz) fresh spinach , try adding some rocket/arugula too!
  • 30 g (2 tbsp) butter , you can use up to double this amount for extra richness if you like
  • 3 heaping spoonfuls of mascarpone

Instructions 

  • In a large pot, heat some olive oil and gently saute your onions until soft.
    1 Tbsp Olive oil, 1 medium red onion
  • Add the garlic and herbs, and saute on a very low heat for a further 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
    5 garlic cloves, 1 Tbsp dried Italian herbs
  • Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes, until bubbling.
    2 tsp salt, 2 cans chopped tomatoes, 140 g tomato paste/puree, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Now add the fusilli along with the boiling water. The sauce will be very watery and runny but don't worry- the pasta will absorb all the excess water as it cooks.
    500 g dried fusilli, 950 ml boiling water
  • Bring to the boil, and then simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until the pasta has cooked and the sauce has thickened back up. If it goes too dry, add some more water. It's hard to say how much you'll need because some pasta brands are thicker than others.
  • Now add the spinach, basil and butter, and stir over a low heat until it's cooked down.
    A few handfuls of fresh basil, 250 g fresh spinach, 30 g butter
  • Finally, stir in the mascarpone until melted. You should have a deliciously thick, creamy sauce.
    3 heaping spoonfuls of mascarpone
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

If you want to use vegetable stock instead of water, you can omit the salt. 
Calories: 582kcal, Carbohydrates: 87.4g, Protein: 27.6g, Fat: 15.1g, Saturated Fat: 6.3g, Cholesterol: 25.4mg, Sodium: 1059mg, Fiber: 7.1g, Sugar: 3.9g