If you have spent any time at all browsing through recipes on Pinterest, then you have likely seen many iterations of the one pot pasta recipe. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can check out a few variations from Martha Stewart, Damn Delicious, and The Wholesome Dish.) The basic idea is that you throw all the ingredients in a stock pot, wait for it to boil, and then you magically have dinner prepared and only one dirty dish to wash! Doesn't that sound too good to be true?
I had put off trying the recipe for awhile because the large stock pot I would need to cook it in is a pain to wash in my rather shallow sink and also because I was skeptical that it would be as easy as it seemed. I thought it was very likely that I'd end up with disintegrated vegetables and brittle pasta. But last night I was not in the mood to cook and throwing everything in a pot seemed like the easiest way to make dinner. Ingredients: 6 cups water 1 lb pasta 1 lb grape tomatoes, halved 1 lb fresh baby spinach 1 lb chicken andouille sausage 3 sprigs basil 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1 onion, sliced salt and pepper grated Parmesan cheese |
I realized after I had already started prepping that I was out of onion, so I skipped it rather than make another run to the grocery store. Although it was not necessary, I think it would be a nice addition if you have one around. Also, I went light on the salt and pepper because when making pasta I like to use the Pasta Sprinkle from Penzey's Spices for flavor.
Once you have assembled your ingredients, combine everything (except the Parmesan cheese) in a large stock pot. Since my pasta was so long, I cracked some of it so that it didn't exceed the height of the pot. First bring the water to a boil and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes. When the pasta is cooked through and there is only a little bit of water left in the pot, add grated Parmesan cheese to taste. I love cheese so I was a bit heavy handed, but your desires may vary. After serving myself a portion, I also added some of the leftover basil leaves and uncooked tomatoes as garnish. As a side note, if you don't like the look of limp spinach, you might want to wait until you turn the water down to a simmer before throwing it in. While this is not a dish that is going to win you praise and adoration at a dinner party, it is a solid recipe for a night when you'd rather not cook and it can easily be adapted to work with whatever you have in the fridge. What is your favorite variation of one pot pasta? Leave your recipes and suggestions in the comments! |