This creamy vegetarian Marry Me Pasta is my go-to when dinner needs to be fast, filling, and kid-friendly. It’s loaded with veggies and comes together in one pot, in under 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights when you want something quick, comforting, and veggie-forward.
If there’s one dinner that’s guaranteed to make everyone at our table happy lately, it’s this creamy Marry Me Pasta.
I mean—al dente pasta bathed in creamy tomato sauce goodness that’s packed with veggies and a hit with the littles? I’m here for it.
I’ve made numerous variations of this viral recipe over the years, but this is the creamiest, sun-dried tomato-iest version yet. In fact, it’s so good I usually double the recipe just so we can eat it again later in the week.
Recipe overview
Why you’ll love this
- Weeknight winner: One pot and ready in under 30 minutes.
- Creamy, comforting, and loaded with veggies: Sautéed onions, fresh baby spinach, and flavorful sun-dried tomatoes coated in a rich, velvety sauce. It’s also easy to customize with whatever veggies you’ve got in your fridge.
- Kids love it: Mine always come back for seconds. If your crew isn’t into spinach, I have an easy modification below.
Plant-forward perks
- Sun-dried tomatoes are rich in lycopene and antioxidants, plus concentrated vitamins A and C for heart and immune support.
- Spinach provides iron, folate, magnesium, and vitamin K, supporting energy levels, bone health, and healthy blood cells.
- Onions offer prebiotic fiber and sulfur compounds that promote gut health and help reduce inflammation.
Save some time
- Prep less: Use pre-washed baby spinach and pre-diced onions (fresh or frozen) to reduce prep time.
- Cook once, eat twice: Make a double batch and enjoy the leftovers later in the week. Reheating instructions below.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegetarian Marry Me Pasta:
- Olive oil: Just regular EVOO will do, but if you’re using jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil, use that instead! It’s already infused with tons of flavor and it won’t go to waste.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Italian seasoning: You can also use a blend of dried basil, oregano and thyme.
- Red pepper flakes: Spice adds depth here, but feel free to skip. I usually add ½ teaspoon to the sauce (which my kids can tolerate) and then a few more shakes to my bowl before digging in.
- Tomato paste
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I prefer jarred in oil because I also use the oil, but you can easily use rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes. I’ve provided instructions on how to do this in the modifications section.
- Pasta: Any short shape works well—rigatoni, penne, or gemelli are all great for catching the sauce.
- Vegetable broth: Chicken broth also works great if you don’t need it to be vegetarian.
- Baby spinach: Wilts right into the dish for an easy veggie boost. Here’s what to do if your crew doesn’t like leafy greens.
- Heavy cream or half-and-half: Either one works! I usually use half-and-half since I always have it on hand for my coffee.
- Parmesan cheese: Skip the shelf-stable Parm. Freshly grated cheese will melt more smoothly into the sauce.
Substitutions & adaptations
Here’s how to make this recipe work—whether you need to swap ingredients, adjust for dietary needs, or want to boost the nutrition even more.
Ingredient swaps
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Rehydrate dried sun-dried tomatoes by soaking them in 1-2 cups of hot broth (vegetable, chicken, or beef —your choice) for 20-30 minutes. Drain (but reserve the broth for the pasta!) and chop.
- Italian seasoning: You can also use ½ teaspoon each of dried oregano, thyme, and basil.
- Spinach: Swap fresh spinach for frozen spinach, chopped kale, or arugula. If your crew doesn’t love leafy greens, blitz them in a food processor until it looks like chopped herbs and then stir them in.
Dietary tweaks
- Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
- Dairy-free & vegan: Use a neutral-flavored plant-based cream (like cashew cream) and vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast. Taste and add a little lemon juice or salt if needed.
Upgrades
- Protein boost: Use lentil or chickpea pasta, or stir in a cup of cooked white beans, lentils, or browned vegetarian or vegan sausage. You can also add cooked shrimp or chicken breast if you’re not vegetarian (we do this often).
- Extra veggies: Bulk it up and add a nutrition boost by sauteing sliced mushrooms, zucchini, or bell peppers with the onions.
Helpful tools & equipment
Items linked below are ones I own and love:
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Large, deep skillet or medium pot with a lid: Something big enough to hold all the pasta and liquid.
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Elle’s Tips for the best Marry Me Pasta
- Use the sun-dried tomato oil: It’s packed with flavor—don’t waste it!
- Toast the tomato paste: Doing this helps deepen the sauce’s flavor.
- Undercook the pasta slightly: It finishes cooking in the sauce and will come out perfectly al dente.
- Melt the Parmesan off the heat: This keeps it smooth and prevents clumping.
- Taste and tweak: Add more cream, salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to get it jussssst right before serving.
Step-by-step instructions
Sauté onion, garlic, and spices in sun-dried tomato oil until soft.
Stir in tomato paste; cook 2–3 minutes until slightly darkened and fragrant.
Add broth and pasta; boil, cover, then simmer until just shy of al dente.
Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and cream; cook gently until wilted.
Stir in Parmesan until melted; season to taste and serve warm.
Take a close-up shot, grab yourself a bowl, and dig in!
Serving ideas
This dish is hearty, creamy, and veggie-packed enough to count as an all-in-one meal in my book. But if you’re looking to round it out or stretch it a little further, here are a few ideas:
- Pair it with a salad or roasted veggies: Something fresh and green (like arugula or broccoli) balances the richness of the sauce.
- Add garlic bread: Carbs on carbs—no one will be mad about it.
- Enjoy it for lunch the next day: Leftovers reheat beautifully—just add a splash of cream or broth to bring the sauce back to life.
How to store vegetarian Marry Me Pasta
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don’t recommended freezing leftovers as the cream-based sauce can separate and become grainy.
To reheat: Place leftovers in a saucepan or pot over medium to medium-low heat. Add a splash of cream, milk, or broth to loosen up the sauce, stirring occasionally until heated throughout.
One-Pot Marry Me Pasta
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This one-pot Marry Me Pasta is a quick, flavorful, creamy tomato pasta packed with veggies—a kid-approved dinner perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (from the sun-dried tomatoes)
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups or 250 g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat!)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup (135 g) whole sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
- 16 ounces dry pasta like rigatoni, penne, or gemelli
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 packed cups (70 g) fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil (from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, if using) in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 medium diced onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning, and ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it). Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it darkens slightly and becomes fragrant. This caramelizes the natural sugars in the tomatoes and builds a rich, savory base for the sauce.
- Add 4 cups vegetable broth and 16 ounces dry pasta (like rigatoni, penne, or gemelli) and stir well to prevent sticking. Increase the heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just shy of al dente—about 1 minute less than the package directions.
- Reduce the heat to low, then stir in 2 packed cups baby spinach, 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained if oil-packed), and 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half. Stir until the spinach is wilted and everything is heated through.
- Add ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and stir until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce. Taste and season with salt, pepper, or more red pepper flakes as needed. Serve warm, topped with extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes if you’d like a little extra kick.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
