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
- 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 ¼ inch julienne strips (use an onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla)
- 4 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 4½ 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.
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
Very Good!
Just made this for my family and loved it! Because we are big eaters here I made this recipe for 3 people and it was precisely the right amount with the extras I added. While grocery shopping, my cart seemed a little empty so I decided to throw some bell peppers and zucchini in to the mix. I grilled the zucchini on the side(i know it’s a cheat an a one pot meal) and I started of with the onions and bell peppers before I added the rest. It was delicious! We always cooked our pasta separate from the sauce, but from this day on it wil never be the same!
SO happy to hear you loved this – it is a classic at our home!
Wow!! Great recipe! Super easy and literally cooked just as you stated! Definitely a keeper. My husband loved it and so did my vegan daughter. Perfect meal for the whole family!
I’ve been using this recipe for months now, and we love it. Everyone asks for the recipe, and it’s easy to convert it for vegans, by buying the right kind of pasta! I’ve ended up with a slightly tweaked version.
I use baby portabella mushrooms that I’ve sliced and sauteed on low heat, in olive oil and sea salt (in a covered pot for about a half hour), then I dump the rest of the ingredients in that same pot, but with just 4 cups of broth. I also don’t cook it covered. It seems like it takes far longer than it should, if I leave it covered.
I’ll sometimes add cooked chicken breast at the end (so it doesn’t get over cooked), and I also add truffle salt occasionally. Asparagus and fresh grape tomatoes are another ‘add in’ we use a lot.
Great with some toasted rustic Italian bread with fresh garlic rubbed on it.