One pot pastas have been an obsession of mine ever since I saw them pop up on the internet. I’m pretty sure the first one I ever came across was Martha’s, but I never actually got around to making it. Years went by and I finally, finally got around to giving one pot pasta a try and oh my gosh, I can honestly say I do not know why I went all those years without making it.
To be honest, I was a little skeptical of one-pot pastas. I didn’t really understand how everything could come together. I’ve always, always cooked pasta separately – even when I’m making a noodle soup, I’ll cook the noodles on the side and then add them into the broth. So it was with a bit of hesitation that I made this. I went with some super spring-time flavours because the past week has just been absolutely gorgeous. Of course today is incredibly gloomy again – spring isn’t here just yet.
While I’m waiting for those bright and fresh spring days, I’ll be filling up on one-pot meals. This came together quickly and I was really pleased with the silkiness of the sauce. Lots of pasta recipes actually call for a bit of pasta water to bind – the starch that is released when pasta is cooked is similar to the starch released when you make a risotto, so the theory behind one pot pasta is sound. The result: a silky, slightly sticky thick sauce flavoured with garlic, red pepper flakes, much like the classic aglio e olio. I didn’t use any cheese in this recipe and I found that I didn’t miss it at all. Don’t forget the squeeze of lemon at the end – it adds just the right amount of brightness and acid to go with the scallops.
I hope you guys give this recipe a try! And to encourage you even more, I’m hosting a giveaway of the braiser I used to make it! See below for details.
One-Pot Lemon Scallop Pea Spaghetti Recipe inspired by The Faux Martha
serves 3-4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lb small scallops
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 pound spaghetti
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 1/4 cup juice)
- 3/4 cup peas, defrosted
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
- red pepper flakes, to serve
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Pat the scallops dry and season all sides generously with salt and pepper. Heat up a small amount of olive oil over medium high heat and cook the scallops until golden brown on both sides, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is slightly golden, but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and uncooked pasta. Bring to a boil and then turn down to low. Cover and cook for 8 minutes.
Remove the cover and simmer to reduce the sauce, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallops, defrosted peas, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flat leaf parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and enjoy hot!
Giveaway: I’ve paired up with Le Creuset to give away one gorgeous braiser in the winner’s color of choice! I am seriously in love with mine – it’s perfect for making one-pot pastas!
Enter: To enter, leave a comment below with your favorite pasta memory. I want to hear ALL the details! I’ll randomly choose a winner and notify them through email. Open to US residents only. (Sorry international friends!) Also, if you’re feeling so inclined, please vote for me on the Munchies. It won’t get you an extra entry, but it will be bonus karma! Contest ends March 4th at 12pm PST. Good luck!
Update: Congrats Ace! Get ready for the one pot pastas because a braiser is heading your way! Keep your eyes peel for an email from me!
My favorite pasta memory was making spaghetti and meatballs from scratch with my favorite person (my partner) for the first time. We had never made pasta from scratch before and spent at least an hour laughing so hard at our really awful sticky dough. In the end, it actually turned out quite delicious and by the time we had finished the meal we had two bottles of wine finished as well. I think Pepin would have been proud ;)
My favorite pasta memory has to be the very first time I made macaroni and cheese with my boyfriend. I had put in all the effort, chose the perfect blend of extra sharp cheddar and mozzarella mixed into a creamy perfectly-concocted bechamel poured over deliciously al denta shells, only to have him say “it’s good, but I’d prefer it will parmesan and less sharp of a cheddar.” AHHHHH when people critique your food after all the effort you put in. Now I know what it feels like to be my mom!
I made an eggplant romesco sauce to dress some rigatoni. It was really garlicky, creamy from the eggplant, rich from the almonds and hearty, even though it was vegan. This kind of strays away from the pasta element, but oh well. I ended up thinning out the sauce with chicken broth for a makeshift soup when I had my wisdom teeth pulled out and I couldn’t do any solids. It was still fabulous, even while loopy from the pain and the meds.
A particularly perfect dish of lasagna in Bologna about ten years ago. Nothing distinctive about it other than its perfection, the paradigmatic Bolognese in a small trattoria with no pretense other than to serve simple perfect food.
My mom always made lasagna that never held together. It was soupy with overcooked noodles and Ragu sauce. I loved it.
My favorite pasta memory was when my host family took me to a family reunion in a small farmhouse in the hills of Tuscany, outside of Florence, Italy. I didn’t know anyone (and could barely speak Italian), but upon walking into the kitchen was immediately embraced with hugs and kisses, and promptly roped into stuffing ravioli with a ricotta-parsley filling. The squares of pillowy awesomeness were sauced with cinghiale (wild boar) that cooked all morning in a heady tomato sauce potent with garlic and swimming in olive oil. As we ate the ravioli, I thought, “This is what food is – a language.” I smiled at my host family and they kissed my cheek in response, spooning more ravioli onto my plate.
My favorite pasta memory would have to be the first time I made a one pot pasta! It was simple with just tomatoes, basil, onions, and some garlic, and I was just as skeptical as it sounds like you were. But it was delicious and so easy and the best part: only one pot to clean! Can’t wait to try out this recipe!!
Best pasta memory is discovering how fun and delicious my family’s homemade pasta is. We made hundreds of ravioli!
My favorite pasta memory is my mom making spaghetti. She may have used prego,, but to this day it’s my favorite when she makes it.