One-Pot Spanakopita Pasta

episode #12 of 30-minute budget meals

Happy Friday!

Because I write this newsletter on both Wednesday and Friday, I always sit here stumped at the end of the week trying to come up with a topic to chit-chat about, since we just talked a couple of days ago!

Someone just pissed me off in my DMs, but I am saving that discourse for next week’s newsletter!

Wednesday I was feeling a little more sentimental; today I just keep thinking about what has been exciting me lately: the podcast episode I recorded with Grant, the sunny days we’ve been having, my fruit trees blossoming, the book I’m reading (Talking At Night), my doggy Willow being extra calm and affectionate, the second draft of my novel coming along, visiting my best friends in San Diego.

After such a stressful year, it feels so good to feel, at the very least, normal. And I say that now, knowing things fluctuate day-to-day — ask me how I feel next week, LOL — but I do feel like things are taking a turn for the better. One time a follower told me I shouldn’t say that out loud because I will jinx it, but I don’t think I believe in that.

But I do believe that this pasta is magical. This luscious dish is inspired by Spanakopita, a savory Greek pie that’s filled with feta, and spinach. Like its pastry counterpart, this pasta is filled with onions, garlic, spinach, and feta, and it’s all cooked in one pot, which not only makes it incredibly easy to make and cleans up quickly, but gives the pasta a creamy, risotto-like consistency, thanks to all the starches that meld into the sauce.

I used frozen spinach here, which contributes to the dish's budget-friendliness and allows you to use a lot more spinach without having to buy 3 or 4 bags. I used mezze rigatoni as my pasta, but if you want to add more protein, I would swap in chickpea pasta or other alternative pasta. You can also use any shape you’d like, just be sure to keep an eye on how quickly it cooks, since it can differ from shape to shape.

RECIPE!

One-Pot Spanakopita Pasta

Ingredients (serves 2-3)