Pasta Puttanesca is a breeze to put together, especially if you have a jar of marinara sauce and frozen spinach on hand. If you love garlic, you’ll love the addition of fresh sliced garlic in this recipe.
One way to achieve success on a plant-based diet is to ensure you have a few pantry essentials on hand. Read my tips on How to Stock a Plant-based Pantry to make cooking these recipes a breeze!
This vegan pasta puttanesca recipe uses whole wheat pasta. Here is a review of all the brands of whole wheat pasta for taste and depth. I always recommend trying a few different brands to see which one you prefer.
When choosing to add more plant-based recipes to your meal plan, you’re not limiting yourself as much as it may seem. It is a very versatile diet when you know what choices are there.
For this plant based spaghetti, swap out the pasta for zucchini or spaghetti squash. And you could even choose broccoli in place of spinach.
It’s best to use dried sun-dried tomatoes instead of those packed in oil if you are trying to stick to an oil-free plant-based diet. Soak them in warm water to re-hydrate them to add to this spinach marinara pasta.
Try a few more plant-based dinner recipes:
- Moroccan Chickpea Vegetable Tagine
- Cauliflower Pasta Alfredo
- Beefless Stew
- Black Bean Tacos with Avocado Cream
There are options if you’re not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes. Artichoke hearts happens to be a fantastic substitution in this plant-based pasta. Red, yellow, or green bell peppers would be a great addition too. You should just sauté them slightly.
The pasta puttanesca vegan recipe calls for jar marinara but you could make your own and just keep it on hand. Here’s my recipe for classic marinara with basil.
If you don’t have time to make your own marinara, here is a list of the best and worst vegan sauces in a jar. Remember, some of these “vegan” sauces have hidden added sugars and unhealthy oils you may not be aware of.
I also have a list of Plant-Based Substitutions to consider when trying classic recipe alternatives.
Add fresh basil and a few fresh squeezes of lemon for an extra burst flavor. Pair this vegetarian pasta puttanesca with a light salad, like my Arugula, Orange Fennel Salad
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Pasta Puttanesca Spinach recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking
This recipe is Certified Plantricious because it meets the following guidelines.
The Trusted Seal for
Plant-Based Nutrition
- Must be whole food plant-based, contains no animal products
- May be minimally processed
- No added oil
- No added sugars
- No artificial additives or preservatives
- Sodium (mg) to Calories ratio, 1 ≤ 1
- Total Fiber to Calories, 2g ≥ 100 calories
Pasta Puttanesca with Spinach
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 8 oz capellini pasta whole grain
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 chopped onion red or yellow
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes no oil (sliced and soaked in warm water for about 15 minutes)
- 1/3 cup seedless Spanish or Greek olives sliced if large, low sodium
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach or 1/2 large package frozen 10 oz. box spinach
- 1/2 jar marinara sauce (your favorite), (or homemade marinara)
- 1/3 cup parsley chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic sliced
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet and saute the onion in water until translucent and water has evaporated.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes, olives, spinach, marinara sauce and diced tomatoes.
- Add parsley and sliced garlic and stir to combine.
- Cook until the spinach is wilted.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan, carefully tossing to combine.
We enjoyed this dish very much. One of our new favorites. There is no amount listed for the pasta so we went with a box, but in hindsight, that may have been too much for our taste. The next time we may go with a half box.
This was delicious! My hubs is painfully honest with his feedback on recipes/my cooking, which I appreciate (most of the time). He loved this. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome. So glad you enjoyed the recipe!