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 first time in Rome without my parents, my friend and I walked into Piazza Navona, started talking to these two artists that were eating something that looked and smelled delicious and asked them for a lunch recommendation. They pointed us to Corallao, a few streets over and far from the touristy cafes. I ordered my first real spaghetti carbonara and was completely floored by how good it was. I found out they used guanciale instead of pancetta or bacon and vowed to find some when I got home to try and recreate it. It wasn’t easy, but I finally found some in the North End. Mission complete.
Although originally from Boston I grew up living in England, and despite all the wonderful things there it always felt like there was something missing. So we would scour the local stores for decidely American things such as A&W rootbeer, Duncan Hines cake frosting, and any brand peanut butter. But the thing that would take us home most was my mother’s homemade chicken and noodles – it was a single dish meal in similar fashion to this with broad homemade fettuccine ribbons that imparted that exact stickiness to the sauce and was so warm and delicious that you would never even think that people often rely on cheese to get that deliciously gooey texture. I think this is where my love of pasta was born
I grew up on Portland with an Old Spaghetti Factory nearby. It’s this huge round, purple building right on the river, and I order the same thing every time: spaghetti with browned butter and mizythra cheese. So do my sisters and my mom. It’s so good!
While living in Spain, I offered to make lasagna for a group of Italians. I did not have the recipe from home but fortunately remembered most of it. To my amazement. It was a crowd pleaser. A good pasta dish brings many diverse cultures together.
My favorite pasta memory is actually of a spoon! During my college years, I began cooking a weekly dinner for a small group of friends, about 6 of us. By the end of the year, the group had grown to about 20, and I was making huge pots of Minestrone, giant lasagnas, and pan after of pan of eggplant parmesan. (No, I’m not Italian, but Italian food lends itself so well to large groups, don’t you think?) During all this time, I didn’t have a spaghetti spoon, which my best friend noticed. So she bought me one. This was about ten years ago, and I still use the same spaghetti spoon!
On our fist Valentine’s Day as a married couple, a few years ago, my husband and I decided to stay in and try our hands at making pasta carbonara for the first time. It was a delicious first attempt and we ate the whole pot of it while splitting a bottle of wine and watching Fellini’s film 8 1/2. It was perfect <3
I consider myself a pretty good cook these days, but I learned over 40 years of marriage. My husband used to make his famous tuna casserole (as I learned how to cook and my kids loved loved loved it and still request today – 2 boxes Mac and Cheese prepared in microwave – 1 stick butter – 2 cans tuna – baked in the oven. Served with peas of course. Hahahahaha! My finest pasta dish today – and I have some delicious ones – wouldn’t rank as high.
My father’s lemon pasta–as a single dad he learned how to cook later in life and his lemon pasta was a revelation the 1st time he made it for us. Roasted veggies, bacon and a garlicky-sweet lemon oil to toss the hot pasta. So so good.
My favorite pasta memory is the first time I helped make it from scratch. I’ve always done dry pasta, and seeing it rolled out over and over and then cut into fettucine and then so quickly cooked with such delicious outcome was a fun event. I don’t have a pasta roller, so I still just use dry, but one day!
my favorite memories about pasta involve my brother–that boy could and can put away more spaghetti with meat sauce than anyone i’ve ever known! i will ALWAYS think of him when i see a plate of spaghetti. :)