Vegetarian Spaghetti with mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes makes an easy, healthy one-pot pasta dinner that's ready in 25 minutes!
A meatless Monday dinner is definitely in order for me this week.
I had a fabulous time at the lake with my girls for our annual boat day this weekend! Lots of sunshine and swimming. Lots of good conversation and laughter. And lots of food and drinks.
And now I need to recover. With healthy, healing foods that are still delicious and comforting.
And easy.
And fast.
Sounds like a tall order, but this one-pot vegetarian spaghetti absolutely delivers.
It ticks ALL the boxes and then some.
I love an easy one-pot pasta recipe for a weeknight meal. I make lots of different versions and this is one of my favorites for being super light but also so creamy and very decadent feeling.
My other one-pot pastas include my one-pot creamy chicken and mushroom pasta with peas and one pot chicken sausage with spinach and peas. You might also like this one pot turkey chili mac. Or these veggie lasagna roll ups for another meatless meal.
In this veggie version though, the noodles soak up the flavor from the vegetable broth and tomatoes and it makes them so rich.
The mushrooms bring a meaty quality to the dish -- and give it some heft -- and the fresh spinach just brightens it all up.
All kinds of deliciousness right here! ❤️
Plus, there's tons of ways to customize it and make it work for you. Keep reading for details.
You can also check out Google web story for this one-pot vegetarian spaghetti recipe.
I think it's going to be a hit in your house and a new go-to vegetarian option, no matter the day of the week!
OK, let's get cooking. So we can eat already.
Here's a little visual of the process:
Now, I've got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make veggie spaghetti. Just tryin' to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Vegetables: You can definitely add any extra veggies you have on hand: peppers, zucchini and broccoli would all be lovely. Add them in at the same time as the onions and mushrooms and sauté everything together until it's slightly tender.
- Mushrooms: You can substitute cremini or portobello mushrooms for the regular button mushrooms if you prefer.
- Vegan option: If you want to make this recipe vegan, just substitute nutritional yeast or your favorite vegan cheese in place of the Parmesan.
- Not vegan or vegetarian? You can stir in some cooked, shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken with the spinach at the end to warm it through. (If you have a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian in the house, this can be a great way to make it a dish for both.)
- Cheese: You could also stir in 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese if you want a super cheesy pasta.
- Noodles: I use whole wheat spaghetti noodles. You can of course use regular spaghetti. You could also substitute a thin spaghetti, a gluten-free spaghetti or even a bean-based pasta if you prefer. Just check the cooking times and adjust accordingly.
Definitely lots of ways to customize this and make it suit your tastes.
One additional note...
Some Parmesan cheese isn't technically considered vegetarian because it's made using animal rennet during part of the process.
However, there are Italian-style hard cheeses and Parmesan-like cheeses made from vegetable rennet that are available in some stores that you could use as a substitute if you are strictly vegetarian.
You can also substitute nutritional yeast, which would make this recipe vegan as well, as noted above. Or leave off the cheese altogether.
So there's your lesson for the day.
Last thing, what to do with any leftovers.
Leftover vegetarian spaghetti, once cooled, can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 4-5 days.
Reheat individual servings in the microwave until heated through. Add some extra splashes of broth or water, and some extra Parmesan, to wake it up if needed.
It makes a delicious lunch later in the week.
You can also check out some of my other vegetarian recipes, like my southwest vegetarian quinoa skillet and my veggie burger scramble (aka, the lazy way to make veggie burgers!)
Here's to a healthy, happy week, friends!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
One-Pot Vegetarian Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 (8 oz.) package button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 10 oz. thin spaghetti noodles, I use whole wheat
- 3 cups fresh spinach or baby spinach
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (see notes)
For serving:
- ¼ cup fresh chopped basil or parsley, optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and saute for 5-7 minutes, until tender and the liquid from the mushrooms has been mostly cooked off.
- Add garlic and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using) and saute another 30 seconds.
- Increase heat to high then add canned tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.
- Add spaghetti noodles and stir until they wilt and fit in the pot. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes. (Your liquid should be at a low boil this whole time.)
- Remove lid and add fresh spinach, a couple of handfuls at a time, stirring to get the spinach mixed in and wilted.
- Remove from heat and let spaghetti sit, covered, for a few minutes
- Stir in Parmesan cheese, taste and adjust seasonings.
- Serve with fresh basil or parsley and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
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Notes
Video
Nutrition
This post was updated with new photos in January 2024. Here is one of the originals for reference.
Terri says
We loved it!! I added a red bell pepper and some oregano/basil but so easy and delicious.
Kathryn says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it Terri! And those sounds like great additions!
deeksha says
Do I just add the spinach raw like that? like washed but raw? im sorry im a total beginner. shouldn't i boil it beforehand?
deeksha says
I'm also having worries because of Paulina's comment above- should i cook them a little before just to wilt them enough that they cook completely in the pot?
Kathryn says
Hi! If you use a big enough pot and enough liquid to fit the spaghetti noodles, you should be fine. (Or you can break the spaghetti noodles in half if you prefer.) And yes, as to your question above, the spinach goes in washed and raw. You can see in the video that's how I do it. It takes just a few minutes to wilt down so no need to cook it beforehand. Hope you enjoy this!
dee says
I want to serve this to a group of 10 adults with baked chicken on the side. Would 2x the recipe be enough?
Kathryn says
Hi, yes, I think that doubling the recipe and serving it as a side dish would easily feed 10 people. I hope you love it!
Mariam says
Hey! I loved this meal I just found it was a bit dry. If I were to make it again I’d add more water or diced tomatoes; maybe even some sauce. Otherwise so good!
Kathryn says
I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yes, if yours starts to dry out (which can happen depending on the temperature and exact timing), you can definitely add in some more broth or extra tomatoes or sauce. 😊
Barbara says
I have never heard my husband rave about one of the dishes I have prepared before as much as the One Pot Spagetti. He is a real spagetti enthusiast as well. I have already made it twice in one week and see that this will become my “go to” recipe.
Kathryn says
Oh I'm so happy to hear you both loved it Barbara! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Barbara says
I actually used a cup of zucchini instead of mushrooms because that was my husband’s preference and I was very pleased with the overall taste and texture. No need for spaghetti sauce!
Kristin S. says
I made this and enjoyed it! Can someone tell me, where it talks about calories, if the kcal is a typo? TIA!
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it Kristin! So, kcal is just the more scientific abbreviation for calories, and what the program I have uses. But it's the same thing. I hope that helps!
Suhana Morgan says
Yam, looking so delicious and nice decoration. I got try to your recipes as soon as possible. I hope my family loves to eat this recipe.
Kathryn says
I hope you and your family enjoy it!
Danielle says
Best one pot pasta I've ever made ! and verylittle prep work.i used pre sliced mushrooms too
Kathryn says
Aww, that's so great! I'm so happy to hear you loved it and thank you so much for sharing! 😊
Lisa says
Thank you so much for this recipe. This was amazing! I am glad I stumbled upon it. I made a few minor adjustments, I am vegan so I didn’t add the cheese and I used baby Bella mushrooms. I also added 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes instead of the 1/4 teaspoon because I like spicy foods. Even my picky 14 year old liked it. This will definitely be a dish I make often.
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you loved it Lisa! And thanks for sharing your changes - very helpful! 😊
Erica says
Absolutely delicious. I added green bell pepper, zuchini in place of mushrooms, and olives ( towards the last 5 min). Made it vegan, left out the cheese. So good. Will definitely keep as a weeknight staple. Thank you!
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this Erica! And thanks for sharing your substitutions - that's really helpful! 😊
Sindy Arango says
Just made this for my husband, 8 yo and me. There wasn’t enough! I had them asking for more. It was just so delicious and quick easy to make!
Kathryn says
Oh I'm so happy to hear everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Sarah brice says
I have made this a million times but I would love an opinion before I tweak it.
I have never cooker or eaten eggplant but I've been told that it is just as fulfilling as mushrooms in meat free dishes.
I was thinking about doing some sliced eggplant in the last few minutes of cooking or baking it and serving it on the side with. Would this work? What do you think would be a good way to try it?
Kathryn says
Hi Sarah! I'm so happy you love this recipe! And I love the idea of using some eggplant with this dish, but I'm not sure you could just add it at the end and have it cooked well. It could be raw if it doesn't get cooked long enough, but eggplant can also get mushy, which wouldn't be good here. If you're looking for more firm eggplant pieces to mix into the spaghetti for some heartiness, I'd suggest cooking it separately. You can cut it into 1/2 inch rounds and put it on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Brush it with olive oil, season with salt and pepper (and maybe some Italian seasoning) and then bake it at 400 for 5-7 minutes, until lightly browned. To get a crispy edge to it, broil for an additional minute, watching it carefully. Then let it cool for a minute, dice it up and mix it in with your finished pasta. Hope that helps! Would love to hear if you try it!
Ally says
Hello! I have extra jarred tomato sauce that I want to use instead of the fire roasted tomatoes - I would imagine this would change the veggie broth amount. Any suggestions on about how much to use?
Kathryn says
Hi Ally! You could try using just 1 1/2 cups of veggie broth and see how that does. Jarred tomato sauce also usually has other ingredients and spices added, so that may affect the taste as well. Would love to hear if you try it though!
Ginger says
Hi I’m making your meal but I’m struggling to see how you came up with the calorie count. Can you tell me please what noodles you used ?
Thank you
Kathryn says
Hi Ginger! I pay for a nutrition calculator that uses a back-end database to come up with the nutrition info, so I can't see what exact brand they are basing the information on. Personally at home I use a whole wheat spaghetti and the recipe calls for 10 oz. (less than a full one-pound package). I hope that helps!
Ken says
So ... Just made this. Had no mushrooms in the house for the first time in my life. No canned tomatoes. Did onios, a whole crate of sun-dried tomatoes, a giant box of fresh baby spinach, used chicken stock and had to use more than the 2 cups recommend, fresh garlic, every seasoning in my cupboard and tons of fresh grated asiago cheese. Best damn dinner in a while and easy, no mess and fast. 5 big fat freaking stars
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you loved this Ken! Thanks so much for sharing - and for sharing all of your substitutions! That Asiago with it sounds yummmy! 😊
Katia says
This looks amazing, light and healthy. I'm trying it this weekend!
Kathryn Doherty says
Yay! I hope you enjoy it! 😊
Jen says
Has anyone tried this with Gluten free pasta? From experience I have noticed that the water in gluten free pasta gets really thick and pasty. I normally have to rinse the pasta a couple of times. Will it turn the sauce that way or should I cook it separately?
Kathryn Doherty says
I'm sorry Jen, I have not made this recipe with a gluten-free pasta! I would love to hear how it turns out if you decide to try it though. 😊
Jen says
I cooked the noodles before and rinsed them. Then I added them to the pot. I just skipped the step of adding veggie broth. Turned out perfect!! We have already had this 3 times already. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Kathryn Doherty says
Yay, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing those swaps - so helpful! 😊
Stuti says
Hi Kathryn! This looks yum? Can you tell me what's vegetable broth? Thanks 🙂
Kathryn Doherty says
Hi! Vegetable broth is used here instead of chicken broth to keep the recipe vegetarian. It can be found in grocery stores with all other broths (usually near the canned and boxed soups). Here it is on Amazon too: https://amzn.to/30nufWI Hope that helps!
Maria Lopez says
Just made the deliciouse food for my husband and 10 years old. We enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for the recepies.
Now they are asking me to prepare it again and again and they are very thankful to you for sharing such yummy stuff.
Kathryn Doherty says
Yay, I'm so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed it! 😊
Harry says
Just made the delicious food for my husband and 10 years old. We enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for the recipes.
Kathryn Doherty says
I'm so happy you all enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Isla says
Looks pretty cool! Gonna try it this weekend.
Kathryn Doherty says
I hope you enjoy it!
Julie says
One pot vegetarian thanks for sharing the recipe. I will try this one.
Kathryn Doherty says
I hope you enjoy it!
Megan says
Love this One-Pot recipe 😋! I was surprised how well it worked out since I'm so accustomed to the old fashioned boiling pasta in salted water. Thanks for the yummy dinner idea. The family approves.
Kathryn Doherty says
Yay, I'm so happy to hear it was a hit Megan! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊