Spinach One-Pot Pasta

This shockingly simple dish achieves success thanks to a small yet mighty powerhouse: Salty, umami-rich anchovies melt into the cooking oil, giving the dish subtle complexity and oomph. This pasta uses only a few ingredients and just one pot, making it perfect for quick dinners.

Original recipe source

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 0 Salt to taste
• 12 ounces Short-shaped pasta such as orecchiette or fusilli
• 1 pound Mature spinach tough ends trimmed
• 0 Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 5 Anchovies oil-packed
• 0.75 cup Grated Parmesan plus more for garnishing, if desired
• 0.25 teaspoon Red-pepper flakes
• 1 Lemon halved
• 0 Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructions.
2. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
3. Place the spinach in a large colander in the sink. Drain the pasta over the spinach. Drizzle with oil and stir to prevent the noodles from sticking.
4. Wipe out the pot and place it over medium-high heat. Carefully add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the anchovies (it might splatter) and stir until they start to dissolve, about 30 seconds.
5. Pour the pasta and spinach into the pot, add the cheese and red-pepper flakes, and stir until a glossy sauce forms and the spinach fully wilts, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Squeeze a lemon half over everything. Taste and season as needed with more salt or lemon.