Tried this tonight and it was absolutely delicious!! And I love how each season it will be slightly different with local seasonal produce. Really fantastic idea! ~Megan
the concept of a one pot pasta is simple
One Pot Pasta is a magical recipe made for busy days and hungry families. This easy 30 minute meal is healthy, meatless, and so delicious!
Here’s how it works — everything gets layered into a big pot, you add liquid, bring it to a boil, and let it bubble away for several minutes until the pasta is al dente. The veggies get cooked perfectly, most of the liquid gets absorbed, and what’s left melds together with the tomatoes to become a sauce. All you have to do is add some grated hard cheese and fresh green herbs to finish the dish. I say ‘liquid’ because while most recipes use water, I used part wine for some extra flavor. You could also use chicken stock.
The precise amount of liquid is the key to the whole thing ~ it’s just enough to cook the pasta and leave a little leftover for a sauce.
it all started with Martha!
About this time last year the first one pot pasta debuted in Martha Stewart Living, and the story is that her editors discovered the recipe in Italy. It’s a neat idea, and it clearly has visual appeal, but I was skeptical. Does it really work? Is it worth my time? The only way to know is to give it a try.
The original recipe calls for red onions, cherry tomatoes, and basil. My version is inspired by the colorful bounty of the early summer farmer’s market. Every Sunday I buy way too much, and so the first night or two after a farmer’s market run is usually a mad dash to use as many vegetables as I can…this pasta is perfect for that.
Veggies that work well in a one pot pasta
The veggies should be able to cook to al dente in the time it takes the pasta to cook, so choose young tender vegetables, or chop larger ones to bite size. Avoid dense choices like carrots or beets.
- cherry tomatoes
- broccoli
- baby greens like spinach or kale
- bell peppers
- asparagus
- onions
- summer squash
- baby eggplant
- mushrooms
- cauliflower
a quick an easy version of pasta primavera
Pasta Primavera is one of my all time favorite pastas, but it can be a little time consuming to make — you usually have to saute the veggies in stages, create a sauce, and then cook the pasta separately. It’s a lot of pots, stove time, and copious amounts of boiling water sloshing from stove to sink. This method is fun to throw together, and sure saves a lot of work.
is one pot pasta all it’s cracked up to be?
Here’s the bottom line: first, it totally works, I was surprised that my veggies weren’t overcooked or mushy, even my baby asparagus stayed relatively firm, and the colors remained pretty bright. There is what you could call a simple ‘sauce’ that is formed from the starchy pasta water and the tomatoes that break down in the cooking process. I wouldn’t necessarily use this as a dish for entertaining because it is rather ‘homey’, but as a family dinner it worked really well. I’ll definitely keep experimenting with this!
more easy pasta recipes
One Pot Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti, I use Barilla
- 1 medium red onion, peeled, halved, and sliced
- 1 small Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise and sliced
- several stalks asparagus, cut in 2 inch pieces
- a handful of broccoli florets, cut in half
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 colorful bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 handfuls baby greens, I used baby kale and wild arugula
- 1 tsp salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp white wine or sherry vinegar
- 1 cup shredded hard Italian cheese
garnish
- halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cups finely shredded basil leaves
Instructions
- Put everything except the cheese, into a large pot. Add the wine and water (measure exactly since you will not drain the pasta) to the pot and bring up to a boil. If your pasta doesn’t fit completely into the pot, nudge it down into the water as it softens. Cover the pot while it comes to a boil then uncover and boil for about 7-9 minutes, until the pasta is just al dente. Babysit the pan a little bit to ensure that the pasta doesn’t stick. Don’t over cook the pasta, there will still be some water left in the pan.
- Toss the pasta with the cheese, and serve with the extra tomatoes and lots of fresh basil.
Notes
- Don’t skip the tomatoes. The rest of the veggies remain intact, but the tomatoes break down and help to form a sauce with the starchy pasta water and the cheese. Uou can use lots of different veggies for this dish, whatever looks good. Mushrooms would work well, also summer squash, cauliflower. Tomatoes are a must, though.
- Don’t skimp on the cheese, for the reason just mentioned.
- Pay attention to flavoring the pot. In addition to salt, I like lots of black pepper, red pepper flakes, and my secret flavor weapon, a dash of sherry vinegar.
- Don’t forget the fresh garnishes. Reserve some little tomatoes and a big handful of fresh basil for topping the cooked pasta.
It’s not summertime here. In fact, it’s a blizzard. We couldn’t think of anything more satisfying on a blustery night than pasta. I was scrolling through your recipes to see what we might enjoy and I came across this one. I have to admit, I was skeptical about everything going into the same pot. I just thought this is going to be a mess. But, then I thought, I haven’t tried one of your recipes yet that I didn’t like and that didn’t turn out. Contrary to my thoughts it was the most decadent spaghetti dish I have ever made despite not using all the ingredients listed (we did a little add libbing). It was silky and smooth, flavourful, yet light. All the things you want in a pasta dish. Like a hug from the inside out. :O) This will definately be one of our go to meals I’m sure.
Oh wow, Felicia, glad I could help keep you warm!
Hello! I shared my take on this recipe on our blog over at Mommy’s Block Party and linked you in it!
Can t find something on the list of ingredients, or spot something different at the market that s too good to pass up? No problem! This pasta is a template rather than a recipe, so revisions are encouraged. It s more important to pay attention to the building blocks you need to make it.
Can you use bubbly white wine like Prosecco?
Sure.
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe this is the best one i have seen so far, my questions is that since i don’t use wine should i add the same amount of water instead ? so 4 1/2 cup of waters in total ? Because the liquid is very important i don’t want to cause a mess.
Yes, you can up the water to 4 1/2 cups, or you could substitute some sort of stock for more flavor.
I made this for dinner tonight and it is delicious. I didn’t have eggplant, so added mushrooms and spinach for the greens. The only thing I would do different is make half the amount as there is just the two of use and there is a lot of leftovers. Fantastic recipe!
So glad you liked this Fern, these one pot pastas are really fun to customize.
Delicious recipe!
Loved that it took only one pot.
Thank you!
How many serving is this? I have 9 people total for dinner, and trying to decide to add more pasta.
Thanks
It serves 4-6, my recipe card conversion failed to carry that info over, sorry!