If dinner needs to feel comforting but you are not in the mood to trash your kitchen, this one is for you. This one pan creamy tomato spinach pasta comes together in a single skillet, cooks entirely by feel, and lands squarely in that cozy, low-effort sweet spot that weeknights dinners need.

creamy tomato and spinach fettuccine pasta ingredients in one pan with a sprinkle of salt

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Why this creamy fettuccine works
"I never knew you could make a dish like this so easily!"
Creamy One Pan Tomato and Spinach Fettuccine
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This is the pasta I make when I want comfort food but I am not interested in juggling pots or babysitting a sauce. Everything goes into one pan, you put a lid on it, stir once or twice, and suddenly you have a creamy tomato spinach fettuccine situation that tastes like you planned ahead.

It is forgiving, flexible, and exactly the kind of one pan pasta dinner that earns a permanent spot in the rotation. What's even better? There are nearly no dishes to clean up! Especially if you're like me and end up eating it straight out of the pan. =)

Why this creamy fettuccine works

Honestly, it works because you’re not overcomplicating it. The fettuccine cooks right in the pan, so the sauce and pasta sort themselves out together instead of feeling like two separate things you have to manage.

The tomatoes soften, the cream pulls everything together, and the pasta does a lot of the work for you. If it looks a little tight, you add water. If it looks a bit loose, you let it go another minute. That’s it. This is one of those dinners where paying light attention beats following strict rules, which is exactly why it works on a random weeknight.

one bite of creamy one pan tomato and spinach fettuccine

"I never knew you could make a dish like this so easily!"

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Creamy One Pan Tomato and Spinach Fettuccine

Creamy one pan tomato spinach fettuccine simmered in a single skillet with onion, grape tomatoes, spinach, and light cream for an easy weeknight pasta dinner.

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Servings: people

Ingredients

3 bundles dried fettuccine
½ red onion thinly sliced
1 handful grape tomatoes halved
1 handful fresh spinach
½ cup light cream
¾ cup chicken stock or water
Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional: freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

Load the pan

In a large deep skillet or sauté pan, add the dry pasta, red onion, tomatoes, spinach, cream, and stock or water.

Season

Add a generous pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper.

Simmer

Cover with a lid and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice to help the pasta soften evenly.

Stir and finish

Remove the lid and give everything a good stir. The pasta should be tender and coated in a light creamy sauce. If it looks tight, add a splash of hot water and stir

Serve

Top with Parmesan if using and serve immediately.

Notes

This is a feel-based pasta, so trust your eyes. If the sauce tightens up at the end, a splash of hot water brings it right back.
A deep skillet works best here. Fettuccine needs a little room to soften evenly as it cooks.
Light cream keeps this cozy without being heavy, but regular cream works if that’s what you have.
No Parmesan on hand? Totally fine. It’s optional, not a dealbreaker, but it does add a nice salty finish.