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 is my mom’s homemade spaghetti. Homemade sauce with fresh garden tomatoes and herbs with homemade meatballs. Best comfort food ever!
Definitely when I hand rolled fresh pappardelle and paired it with a bolognese sauce. It was a painstakingly, rewarding process that ended with the silkiest pasta I’ve ever had!
My favorite pasta memory is the time I fell asleep, face down, in a full plate of spaghetti. I was a very tired child and frequently fell asleep mid-meal at the dinner table. There’s video evidence of me trying to stay awake but eventually giving way to that ever precious sleep. The best part, my parents assumed I would wake up the second my face hit the plate….nope. They had to jostle me awake. I was out!
My favorite pasta memory is my parent’s homemade chicken noodle soup. My dad would make the chicken and stock while my mom makes the noodles. I was allowed to start helping at about 7. It was so much to roll out the dough and then use the electric knife to cut them all into strips after the dough has dried. Now I love making this recipe with my own kids!
I’m not huge into pasta, but… I love some red meat sauce. Yum. I’ll eat it on spaghetti squash, bread, on broccoli… yum yum yum!
This looks so amazing. My favorite pasta memory is the spaghetti dinner my friend hosted for me prior to running my first marathon! It was kind of like a spaghetti bar…with different sauces and veggies to add, and she invited my family and friends (none of whom were running with me) but it made me feel so supported. And all those carbs definitely helped me rock that marathon!
When we started dating, the first meal my boyfriend ever made me was spaghetti and meatballs on Valentines day. So instead of going out and battling to get a reservation at a restaurant every year. we stay in and make a delicious dish of spaghetti and giant meatballs!
Favorite pasta memory was making carbonara for the first time. It was my friend’s idea, so we met at her place to make it. Everything was pretty smooth-going and delicious-smelling, until we had to combine the egg mixture with the pasta and bacon. My friend was like, “don’t stop stirring!” while she poured the egg, “don’t let it curdle!!!!!” It was fun :) and to this day it’s probably one of my fave pasta dishes – can’t go wrong with garlic and bacon!
my favorite pasta moment was having fresh pappardelle pasta for the first time! now i have to order anytime i see it on the menu.
My first pot was an aluminum piece with a plastic handle that would crack after the third use, but before it did I remember watching a frothy mix of water and starchy spaghetti swirl while I stood barefoot on the cold grimy tiles of a shared dormitory kitchen. I was nineteen and I’d made the impulsive choice to go to college overseas after my high-school girlfriend told me we should both be excited to break up and meet new people. I’d never really cooked for myself, or done anything for myself. The spaghetti softened. I managed to pour out the water and hold the pasta in the pot with a fork. I dumped a can of tuna on top of it and added a slice of processed cheese. I mixed it around, took it back to my dorm room and ate it right out of the pot with someone else’s fork. I didn’t know anyone and I didn’t know the language. And I knew that I was going to be okay.