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 eating gluten-free pasta for the first time and marveling over how amazing it tasted!
My most found memory of pasta was creating Mount Pesto overflowing with a clear lethargic liquid seeping from a yellow core. Diving in with hands first, the sensation of slightly cold liquid of protein and carbohydrates was the first sign of addiction. I started to add pureed spinach in mounds to my dough to mimic the green mountain i had always dreamed of, except this one was only 3 or 4 inches tall. Flatenning the great green beast was not much of a challenge with a large rolling pin and pasta maker. Cutting and boiling the green strips of long flour covered pasta lead to the best tasting pesto i had created. Creamy, nutty, and somewhat fragrant was what i tasted as the culmination of eggs, flour, and herbs were slurped into my mouth. I will never forget the moment pasta led me down the road of tirelessly creating different colors and sizes. It was like sculpting, but for not only observing but for eating.
Mine would have to be the first time I made pasta from scratch! It really opened up a new door for me when it comes to home cooking and gave me the courage to try other things I felt intimated by in the kitchen!
My favorite pasta memory is absolutely when I tried fresh pasta for the first time, maybe 5 years ago now?! My life completely changed, and I fell in love with food.
I’ve had a long history with spaghetti. It was my favorite dinner meal since before I could pronounce it properly. Early childhood pronunciations of spaghetti came out as “spuzghetti”. Anytime my mom would ask me what I wanted for dinner, the answer was always spaghetti. For birthday dinners, for restaurant meals, always the same, I wanted spaghetti. I even fell asleep in a plate filled with spaghetti at the dinner table once, true story.
As I grew up, spaghetti in some form stayed with me. It was the easy meal I would make for myself when my mom worked late nights, or the inexpensive meal I made in college on my student’s budget. Spaghetti was also my gateway into learning to cook and developing a passion for it. I started small, by sauteing some fresh vegetables and adding them into my store bought sauce. This segued into making my own sauce and homemade meatballs.
Today, I still love spaghetti and will not hesitate to order a plate of spaghetti and meatballs when at my favorite Italian restaurant. I still love spaghetti because it was the first meal that I loved. It was the first time I realized the coming together of ingredients could result in something amazing. Spaghetti brings me happy childhood memories and has ignited in me the passion I have for food today.
My favorite pasta memory is pretty simple: the first time I made pasta with pesto made from basil grown in my own backyard. I had had pesto before, but the moment I mixed the fresh, garlicky, lemony pesto with the hot pasta, I knew I was in for something special. I’ve made pesto a hundred times since then, and every time I am taken back to that lovely summer day.
My favorite pasta memory is making my favorite lasagna recipe, with Bolognese and béchamel sauces and parmesan cheese, and serving it to my whole family for Christmas dinner.
My favorite pasta memory take place at city island, a small island in the Bronx. My family and I would visit every summer and we would frequent this Italian restaurant. One of their specialty dishes is this seafood pasta dish that would come out on a huge plate, meant to be eaten family style. It incorporated all the freshest seafood in the area including clams, mussel, and lobster, in a thick tomato sauce cooked together with spaghetti. I can’t think of a better way to eat spaghetti. It’s still one of my favorite meals and every summer I long to go back.
My favorite pasta memory is only a few weeks old. I visited my sister who has the pasta attachment for the kitchenaid mixer. She got it as a wedding gift 10-years ago but never used it. Needless to say me and my 7-year old nephew made the world longest strands of pasta ever. Great memories forever.
the first time I ate cacio e pepe. it reaffirmed how simple pasta is the best pasta.