One Pot Wonder Pasta – BEFORE
Once in awhile a dish comes along and stuns you and makes you rethink the way you cook. This miracle throw-everything-in-a-pot pasta dish has done that for me.
You literally throw in all the ingredients for this dish – including the uncooked pasta – and then Flame On! You cook it all together and DO NOT DRAIN the pasta. You just cook it up and starch leaches out of the pasta and makes a rich, warm sauce for the noodles. The other ingredients cook right along with the pasta. The tastes and textures of this dish are shockingly good. And the “sauce” made by the starch from the pasta combining with the reduced vegetable broth is truly remarkable.
I started with the idea from a photo I saw in this months’s Martha Stewart Living magazine, but I added some things to make this recipe my own and that I think make the dish even better: some crumbled oregano leaves and a little olive oil for richness. And Oh Yes! – I used vegetable broth, not water and salt as called for in the recipe. I used regular vegetable broth, not a low-sodium version, and this was the perfect seasoning for the pasta.
I was so nervous about cooking the linguine right with the other ingredients, but I took a leap of faith. This dish is a revelation, and I’ll make it again and again.
NOTE: This recipe and new technique just scream out for experimentation by passionate cooks, so please feel free to tweak as desired, and come back and let us know your favorite version(s)!
Happy Meatless Monday, all!
One Pot Wonder Pasta – AFTER
– posted by Donna
ONE POT WONDER TOMATO BASIL PASTA
Serves 4 to 6 as an entree
12 ounces linguine pasta
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid ( I used zesty red pepper flavor style)
1 medium sweet onion, cut in 1/4 inch julienne strips (use an onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla)
4 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (use regular broth and NOT low sodium)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch (about 10 to 12 leaves) basil, diced
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.
Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired .
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add basil leaves and stir pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot evenly throughout the pasta as you are serving. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.
Other one-pot pasta wonders:
My friend the Mountain Mama made One Pot Pasta with MIni Chicken Meatballs
Week of Menus has the flavor trio of Sausage, Broccolini and Garlic Pasta
I’ve never had gluten-free pasta, but Martha makes me want to try with her Pasta Putanesca
Ours turned out good. I added a few tweaks. First I sautéed the onions and the spices then added minced garlic to develop the flavors. I didn’t have fresh basil so I used dried (about a teaspoon). I didn’t have diced tomato so I used a large can of crushed tomatoes . It came out with a good flavor with a hint of heat at the back of your throat. I would cook this again. :)
That reply of it looking like barf had me confused. It looks like Tomatoe/Basil pasta. Eat it on a tortilla? no.. It is really yummy,however ,we really had to beef it up a bit with more garlic powder,salt,onion powder,pepper,or it was too bland. After the beefing up it was great
This meal tasted pretty good & was easy to make. My kids ate it w/o complaining & I might try it on a tortilla tomorrow like other reviewers have suggested… my only hang up is that it looks like… wait for it… barf. Throw up. Tossed cookies. I could barely look past the appearance… it was seriously hard for me to swallow. Maybe if I leave out the cream cheese next time & just put a dollop of sour cream on top when serving, it will look more appetizing.
Hey – uh – this recipe doesn’t call for cream cheese. I’ve made this twice now and have been surprised by how nice it actually looks when it’s done. Ditch the cream cheese…the only cheese should be a shake of parmesan on the top..
Cream cheese? Maybe you have this recipe confused with another one… There is no cream cheese in this.
Made this last night and it was very good. Had to substitute dried basil for fresh…I used about two teaspoons. Otherwise I used the ingredients specified, no Parmesan. I brought the liquid and tomatoes to a slow boil while I was chopping the onion and garlic and measuring ingredients. Then put the pasta in once it was at the slow boil. Took lid off halfway through cooking and pasta turned out perfect in 9 minutes. My bf was even ready to fight me over the leftovers and he hates leftovers. :-).
Planning to try this tomorrow night! I I was wondering if I would have any problems using whole wheat noodles?
Made this tonight, and poured in a little jalapeno juice, just from some canned jalapenos- Very nummy!