Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this one pot pasta. All of the ingredients, including the pasta, cook together in one pot. Dinner is ready in 30 minutes with hardly any dishes to clean up!
If you’re looking for an easy homemade weeknight meal, this one pot pasta is it. What I really like about this recipe is that you cook everything together at the same time. Some one-pot pasta recipes just mean that everything is cooked in the same pot, and while that saves dishes, it isn’t nearly as easy as just cooking it all in one step.
For this recipe, there is literally just one step: you place all of the ingredients in the pot with some water, bring it to a boil and ta-da! Pasta for dinner!
There has been a lot of one-pot pasta recipes floating around lately. I first came across the idea from Mary’s post on This Tasty Life. Last week, I was reminded of it again when I read an article on , which then led me to Lottie + Doof’s one-pan pasta recipe which was adapted from Martha Stewart Living.
With so many bloggers and sites writing about it, I decided I needed to try it, too.
One Pot Pasta Pros and Cons
This recipe is incredibly simple which is what I like best about it. It’s the kind of dinner that’s perfect for a busy weeknight when you don’t have time for a lot of steps. It’s so easy you hardly have to think about what you’re doing at all – just measure the ingredients and they’re ready to go.
Since I used water to make it I will say that’s it’s not super flavorful. It definitely tastes good with the fresh tomatoes and basil, I think using chicken stock or broth instead of water would give it a lot more flavor. If you want to try it, you can use the same amount of stock or broth in place of the water.
It’s also very light so it may not be a good choice if you’re really hungry or want some protein. You could easily add chicken, beef, or ground turkey but you would have to cook the meat separately or cook in the pan first, take it out, and then make the pasta part.
But, considering how easy this one pot pasta is I would make it again when I want something really easy and fast.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti
- Grape tomatoes
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh basil
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Onion powder
- Water
- Shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish
I used my 3-quart Dutch oven to make it, but any 3-quart pot will work. Just place all of the ingredients (except for the cheese) in the pot. Bring the pot to a boil and once all of the water is absorbed by the pasta it’s ready! It takes about 25 minutes for it to be done.
To serve, I garnished each serving with the Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.
I have other one-pot dinners I like to make so you might like to try these other recipes, too:
- One Pot Pizza Zucchini Noodles
- One Pot Taco Pasta
- One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta
- One Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta
One Pot Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 oz uncooked spaghetti
- 12 oz grape tomatoes halved
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 sprigs of basil + additional for garnish
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 4 1/2 cups water (see note)
- shredded parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Add all ingredient into a large pot or oversized skillet (I used my 3-quart dutch oven).
- Turn stove to high heat and bring ingredients to a boil. Continue to cook until liquid is nearly evaporated (about 10 minutes). Dish out and serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Notes
- For a more flavorful dish, I might try substituting chicken stock instead of water.
- Slightly adapted from Lottie + Doof who adapted it from Martha Stewart Living
- Nutrition estimate doesn't include the Parmesan cheese for garnish.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
I love this dish and make it ALL the time! But like you, I like my pasta dishes a little more saucy and flavorful. So what I do is cook some ground Italian sausage and mix in a little Mexican cream. Then just mix the meat in with your pasta. Sooo yummy!
Mmm, sounds good! I will try that next time!
I think the chicken stock makes a big difference. The recipe I had said to use regular stock (not low sodium) but I ignored that since I used homemade stock and I’d rather control the salt content myself! I love the tomatoes you added, it makes it look so bright and fresh. I might try that next time instead of adding the canned diced tomatoes.
I imagine the stock is better too. I assumed the recipe you used was the same as the other one I found because the description and the way the pastas looked, so I didn’t realize the chicken stock until I was writing up the post. doh! well I didn’t have that much chicken stock sitting in my pantry anyway. But now I know for next time.