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.
I’ve made this twice, once without wine and once with. I substituted chicken stock for some of the water. It was excellent both times, and is a new family favorite! I love how fresh and flavorful it is!
Thanks Jenni!
Looks great..can we leave off the cup of cheese for this recipe? Thanks!
Nope. Just no. I was hoping for something more flavorful with the amount of vegetables that were in it. I had to add marinara sauce to even eat it );
Sorry you didn’t like this Steph, I think it’s definitely a subtler flavor than regular pasta with red sauce. I suggest adding extra cheese for more oomph, too.
Made this for dinner tonight. DH said it was fantastic. I have to agree. Both boys said they liked it as well. I used a cheap Sauvignon Blanc that was on sale, substituted apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar and used Asiago cheese. This is my kind of recipe, super easy, super fast and super delicious! This one is a keeper. Thank you!
Thank YOU, I’m so glad to hear it 🙂
Tried this with whole wheat angel hair, gummy mess! Next time we will try regular pasta. Also I didn’t have wine so I did all water and juice of one lemon, was very refreshing!
Whole wheat pasta can be gummy Lani, and I think the angel hair is too fine and breaks down, I would use a good sturdy spaghetti.
Can you clarify on how to know the right amount of liquid? What is just enough? Does it reach a certain level in the pot?
the liquids are specified in the recipe, Kelly, it’s 1 cup wine, and 3 1/2 cups water. You can also substitute broth if you like.
Just some feedback–I have loved this blog forever, but the past several times it takes so long to actually see the content that I just X out of the website. It’s quite frustrating when I just want to see the images and read the content. Even as I type it is delayed because (I think) there are so many ads on your site. I understand that is how bloggers build revenue, but I don’t want to keep visiting because it’s simply taking too long and the page keeps shooting to different parts because it’s all taking so long to load. Kind of stinks because I have really enjoyed this blog. Again, just some feedback from my end.
I’m so sorry about that Marian – I’ve got a call in to my ad manager to see what I can do to fix that. I feel the same way when I visit a site and the ads take over! I’m looking into it asap, hope you give me another chance 🙂
Could you do this with gluten free pasta?
I don’t see why not!
tried this with gluten free spaghetti and ended up with a gummy mess. I’m curious if anyone else has tried gluten free. I liked the flavor but not the texture. I’ll try it with GF penne next and see if that works any better.
It could very well be that regular pasta has a lot more strength to it due to the type of wheat it’s made from, Teresa.
Teresa, see if you can find a website run by Emril’s daughters. I forget their names. They’re both GF for health reasons and have written an excellent cookbook, worthy of their dad. They may have suggestions from cooking the pasta partially first to suggesting a particular brand. My FIL is also GF and it took them several tries and brands to find ones that cook well AND taste like pasta. If you do find out anything, share it here!
Try corn pasta – I’ve used it ever since I discovered it in Greece and in restaurants in various parts of Italy. It stays firm and tastes like regular durham pasta.
Your photos are so gorgeous! You really captured the natural beauty of the vegetables and I will definitely be making this recipe very soon! Thank you for the inspiration 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Hannah!
Hi! I can’t wait to make this meal this weekend! Quick question -what kind of hard cheese did you use or do you recommend? I’m pretty naive when it comes to cheeses so I was curious. Thanks!
Hi Tamar! I usually buy a chunk of parmigiano reggiano, but romano, or asiago would also work.