Would you look at that? I made Christmas-colored pasta, completely on accident. I’m on a perpetual roasted broccoli and red bell pepper kick, you see, and got a hankering for some hearty pasta.
Here, freshly roasted broccoli and bell pepper collide with lots of delicious sautéed spinach, my favorite whole wheat linguine and some balsamic vinegar. Toss all that together with some magical reserved pasta water for a light, silky sauce, and we end up with high-contrast Christmas pasta. I love it.
This spinach pasta recipe is highly adaptable. Feel free to change up the roasted vegetables—just use whatever you have around, cut to similar sizes and roasted until tender. Or, skip the roasted vegetables for a very simple but very flavorful and hearty spinach pasta.
The recipe is easily made vegan and/or gluten free, and the leftovers are great, whether served chilled, at room temperature or warmed again.
My one request is that you serve this pasta with a great green side salad. It can be super simple with just fresh greens, your favorite dressing and a couple of add-ins. Just don’t skip it!
DeLallo, the makers of my favorite 100% whole wheat pasta, offer a product called Salad Savors that combine a few complementary salad mix-ins in one easy-to-grab package.
My fridge is full of Salad Savors right now, so I have no excuse not to include a side salad with each meal. The more greens, the better, especially during the holidays!
I had a hard time choosing which Salad Savors to use with this pasta, but ended up grabbing my favorite (called Crisp), which includes sweet red dried apple, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and toasted almonds. I just tossed those ingredients with fresh arugula and a simple, homemade balsamic dressing. It was remarkably easy and delicious.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments. I’m always so eager for your feedback, and hope you love my recipes!
PrintSpinach Pasta with Roasted Broccoli & Bell Pepper
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Italian
This healthy vegetarian pasta features loads of spinach and roasted vegetables tossed with light balsamic sauce! Feel free to change up the vegetables or skip them completely for a simple, hearty spinach pasta recipe. Recipe is easily vegan and gluten free (see notes). Serve with a green side salad for a complete meal. Recipe yields 4 large or 6 more modest portions.
Ingredients
Roasted vegetables
- 1 large bunch of broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), florets removed and sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1-inch squares
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
Spinach pasta
- 8 ounces DeLallo Whole Wheat Linguine or spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot bulb, sliced very thin (about ½ cup, sliced)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 12 ounces baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- Optional: 1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese* (about ¾ cup, grated), plus extra for garnishing
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To prepare the roasted vegetables (optional, skip for a more simple spinach pasta): Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Transfer the sliced broccoli florets and bell pepper to the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss until the vegetables are lightly coated in oil (add a little more olive oil if necessary). Sprinkle with salt, arrange the vegetables in an even layer and bake until the broccoli is tender and caramelized on the edges, tossing halfway, about 25 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are in the oven, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta just until al dente, according to package directions. Before draining, carefully reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and return the pasta to the pot.
- To prepare the balsamic spinach, in a large Dutch oven (my 5.5-quart Le Creuset is perfect here) or large sauté pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Add the sliced shallot, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot is translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. While stirring constantly, add several big handfuls of spinach at a time until they have wilted, then repeat until all of the spinach is in the pot. Once the spinach has reduced a bit but is still bright green in parts (this happens quickly!), pour in the balsamic vinegar and remove the pot from heat.
- In your Dutch oven or in a large serving bowl, combine the roasted vegetables and cooked pasta with the spinach mixture. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil and optional Parmesan. Drizzle in about ⅓ cup reserved pasta cooking water and gently toss to coat. Season to taste with additional salt (mine needed about ½ teaspoon more) and freshly ground black pepper. Divide into bowls and serve immediately, with extra grated Parmesan on top for bonus presentation points.
Notes
Change it up: Skip the roasted veggies for a simple weeknight pasta that’s full of greens, or change up the vegetables used.
Make it vegan/dairy free: Use olive oil instead of butter and omit the Parmesan. This pasta is great without the Parmesan, but you could add a light sprinkle of nutritional yeast for some cheesy flavor, if you’d like. Another option for extra savory flavor would be to add about ⅓ cup freshly toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds.
*A note on Parmesan: I always get a few comments on recipes that include Parmesan (“It’s not vegetarian!”) but Whole Foods actually makes a great animal rennet-free Parmesan. There’s plenty of flavor in here without the Parmesan, if you’d rather leave it out.
Make it gluten free: Choose a good gluten-free pasta (DeLallo makes one!).
▸ Nutrition Information
This post was created in partnership with DeLallo Foods and I received compensation for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
Abby
The “Fresh” one with goat cheese!
Sue
I’ve never heard of this product before so I’d go with your apple/cheddar/almond recommendation.
christy
Always look forward to the emails, this looks like it would be good even with gluten free pasta(which sometimes needs a little help)! Feta, olive and pepper salad savor sounds delicious!
Anne B.
They all sound really yummy, but the one with sun dried tomatoes and artichokes sounds especially appealing!
Lindsay
I would love to try the feta topping!
Liz A.
This receipe looks delicious. I will definitely be making this! I would love to try the SaladSavors with Blue Cheese, that one really sounds great!!
Jen
I’d love to try the zesty feta!
laurie
This recipe looks great…definitely on the menu for this weekend. I think I would like to try the crisp SaladSavors in Crisp. Thanks for the great giveaway too. Happy Holidays!
Molly
I love the use of roasted vegetables in this pasta dish! I would love to try the sharp asiago salad too!
Kristel Petty
Yummmmmmm. Cheddar and apples!
angie
oh yum! I’m so making this for dinner tomorrow night! And thanks for the great contest!
Liz
This dish looks both tasty and healthy!
Mary
A perfect pan for winter cooking ~ pastas, soups, and stews!
Kimberly C
I’d love to try them all but I would start with sharp asiago!
Brent
I’d love to try the goat cheese dressing. Sounds as great as this pasta looks!!
Susan Morrison
Tangy!
Cee
This recipe looks delicious, I love spinach! For the Salad Savors, I think I’d quite like the Zesty Feta–with feta, olives and roasted red peppers. Sounds delish!
Yasmine
Yum! This looks so good :) I would love to try the zesty feta salad savor!
TJ
I like the Sharp Cheddar one!
Courtenay
I’m a sucker for anything with apples and cheddar, so definitely the apple, cheddar, and almond flavored salad saver would be my first choice!
Catherine l.
Glazed pecan.
Joe S.
I would really like to try the one with Gorgonzola! love that stuff
Jackie
I love blue cheese, I’d definitely go for the Bold SaladSavors!
Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table
The Marinated Beets, Goat Cheese and Pecans SaladSavor has my name written all over it.
Cynthia
Beets for sure!
yq
Beets, goat cheese, and glazed pecans sounds yummy ;)
David
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Sarah
The tangy beets, pecan and goat cheese is just my style!
alex
i love anything with spinach and pasta!
Dana S
mmm beets and goat cheese sounds fab!
Nicole
sharp asiago
Laura C.
The gorgonzola, pears and almonds sounds delicious. Thanks for doing this giveaway, and happy holidays!
Shelly
Sharp Asiago. Yum!
Odessa |Odessa darling
I’m so sad to be lactose intolerant and couldn’t have any of these, but the one with Apple chips and toasted almonds world be amazing (minus the cheese :))
David
Ditto here – lactose – but have to innovate and use alternates. Would be good if original recipes can note alternates right inside recipe.
Grace
I would try Asiago :) It’s a good cheese for salad. Happy holidays and thanks for the giveaway!
Mason
I love the concept of the salad savers! If only they were vegan…I would have to go with the beet!
Rachel R.
They all look delicious, but I think the “Bold” looks best – I love gorgonzola!
Melissa R
Zesty feta sounds fantastic! And this pasta sounds yummy too!
Katie
Yum! I love roasted broccoli. I’ll have to try this one!
Maureen
Oh, I think it would have to be Zesty, because I LOVE Feta!
Rebecca Staple
I definitely want to try the Crisp!
Hannah H
Love this! My husband and I are vegetarians since July and are always on the lookout for new recipes. This would definitely help make some yummy stuff!
Janice
This looks delicious!! Thanks for the chance to win a Le Creuset piece. I love them!
rhonna
the cherry pecan version sounds great! thanks for the fabulous giveaway!
Kathy Mader
They all sound very appealing, but I would try Vibrant SaladSavors first.
Emilie @ Emilie Eats
This pasta looks so good! I’m a sucker for beets so I’d go with that one!
Annette
I’d like to try Vibrant, first. They all look so good.
Karen
This recipe look delicious! I love balsamic and have been on a roasted veggie kick. I can’t wait to try it. All the saladsavors sound yummy….. it would be hard to choose just one. Maybe the bold.
Love your blog! I have been following for a few years and rave about your recipes. I have to follow a vegan and gluten free diet. Your recipes are always a hit… even for my meat and gluten eating husband!
Elizabeth
They all look good! I hadn’t even heard of these before! I would definitely like to try the Tangy Beets variety :)
Kimbra
Great recipe to make for my vegetarian son home for the holidays. Thanks
Rust
The Zesty Feta SaladSavors®. sounds great! They all sound great!
Stephanie
Love the vegan option! Can’t wait to try this after the holidays!
Margaret
The Tangy Beet salad savour sounds like a real winner. Just tried roasted broccoli pasta. WOW! IT WAS GREAT.
Rachel
I really like the recipe. I think I’d try the Beet SaladSavors because my young kids eat beets and the beet & goat cheese combo reminds me of my mom :)
Emily Love
sounds delicious, can’t wait to try!
Melissa Tokoly
This recipe looks delicious! I will be adding the ingredients to my grocery list for tomorrow. As for the Saladsavors, I would love to try the blue cheese, dried cherries and pecans!
Julie
The Fresh Salad Savor looks SOOO good! Vibrant seems like a close second.
Flor
I would love to try the cheddar apple almond. Thanks Kate
Lynn
Hi Kate, beets and goat cheese is right up my alley. Absolutely fabulous!
Thank you for this lovely recipe and Happy Holidays!
xx Lynn
Jim Mann
This dish looks great. I will try it soon. Never heard of the salad savors but will look in to them as I do not care for “standard” salads. We usually put everything we have on hand into the salads we make. Our motto is if you are going to do it, make it worth the effort. PS: Coolie looks like a great companion.
Jim Mann
OK, new to this. What is and where is the Rafflecopter field ???? The body of your message says to enter my email address in the Rafflecopter but I never saw it.
Wendy
Roasted beets, goat cheese and toasted pecans, definitely! Sometimes I just make that for dinner on its own. One of the best combinations ever.
Thank you again for all your wonderful recipes. This is where virtually all of my “real” cooked meals come from.
Suzannah M
The recipe looks delicious and the Le Creuset looks awesome too!!
Abbie
I’ve always wanted to try Salad Savors! The Crsip one you mentioned sounds like absolute perfection to me!
Holly
I’m thinking vibrant blue sound delicious!
Meg
I just moved and I feel so uncomfortable in my new kitchen I haven’t been able to cook yet, but this looks fabulous, healthy yet comforting. I’m going to have to try it before I start gearing up for the holidays. Love your recipes!
Carly G
Crisp and Beet both look interesting.
Genia
The Crisp SaladSavor sounds delicious!
Betsy
Looks delicious, can’t wait to make this!
BRIANA
I love how you inspire so many people with such beautiful and satisfying vegetarian food dishes. This dish in particular reminds me of how I typically find myself cooking through out the busy weeks as a single parent, mixing varieties of veggies/greens that remain unused in our fridge to fuse with the varieties of pastas I keep. Great job on your site and your posts, they help keep me inspired after a long days work, give me a little boosts, and remind me to share a little more’ with our dog. Go spinach! Cheers!
betty
love your recipes want to try salad savors
Liz S.
The SaladSavors flavor that I would like to try is the Bold gorgonzola flavor.
Tracy
What a great giveaway! I’d like to try any of the SaladSavors but the tangy is #1 on my list.
cori
The BOLD sounds great!
tracy
Goat cheese and beets all the way! Love that as a topping! Actually a lot of them sound tasty.
Julie Adler
This recipe looks delicious! And the SaladSavors sound intriguing — I’d love to try the tangy beet.
Debbie G
This pasts has so many possibilities…looks yummy.
Alex
Can’t wait to make this for my fam!
Anita K.
Looks beautiful! and the SaladSavors are brilliant. I want to try Crisp and Fresh!
Stephanie Geisler
I would defiantly try the tangy beets from salad savors :) i am in love with beets any kind like spiralized and raw or in the oven drizzled with tahini!
Leah
You make me excited about vegetables!
Cheryl
I would love to try the beet! I like beets but roasting them in the oven takes a long time, so it would be great to have them ready to eat!
Tara
Another great use for a Dutch Oven!
Itzia
I would like to try the bold gorgonzola.
Anne Weber-Falk
I would like to try the Bold Gorganzola. Love the flavor of gorganzola and fruit together.
Danyelle H
I think the creamy goat cheese, tart and chewy cranberries and crispy walnuts sounds amazing!
Alex
I bet a great combination would be the Gorgonzola with some butternut squash and toasted pumpkin seeds!
Shelley
This pasta looks incredible! And that is such a beautifully colored Le Creuset :D
Samantha
Boom! Added to menu.
Lynda M.
They all look delicious but I would love to try Fresh with goat cheese, cranberries and walnuts!
Lynda M.
Shared on Facebook :)
Sarah
This looks great! I love junking pasta up with whatever veggies I have in the fridge…
Traci B.
I love the Feta-Calamata Salad Savor! Thanks so much for the giveaway! I sure would love to win!!!
Lauren
I would love to try the Tangy Salad Savor as I am a sucker for beets and goat cheese!
Janis
BOLD sounds delicious!
Jessica
Looks so yummy!
Allison
I would love to try the “Crisp” version!
Amy
Pasta with roasted broccoli wins me over every time. Looking forward to trying it with the spinach!
Lisa Knerr
The goat cheese looks amazing!
Robin
Oma taught me to always add just a pinch of sugar to pasta sauces; has the same flavor-enhancing effect as MSG.