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!
I recently went gluten-free and dairy free, and so I had pretty much given up on enjoying creamy pasta . . . until I discovered gluten free pasta and goat cheese! I made some bow ties, poured on some tomato sauce and sliced some goat cheese. It turned melty and creamy and this tomato-goat cheese pasta was the best I ever had!
My favorite pasta memory is the first time I made homemade pasta. My wife surprised me by purchasing the pasta making attachments for my KitchenAid. And that first time, I was SO proud. Heck, every time I make it I’m proud. Made a batch after a long break last week, and it was perfection. Hands dirty, throwdown pasta making is just the best.
Thanks for hosting this giveaway!!
My favorite pasta memory goes back to when I was 6 years old. My grandma took care of me after school, and whenever I was hungry, she would cook me “pasta”. The reason why this memory still lingers in my mind is because this pasta wasn’t any ordinary pasta. Grandma’s pasta was made out of spaghetti noodles mixed with two packets of Heinz ketchup. At the time, I didn’t know that real pasta involved a different kind of tomato sauce, but I loved it regardless.
When I was little, my dad used to cook me Kraft mac and cheese for dinner and he would overcook it a little bit so there were charred bits that tasted so good to me. I’ve never been able to make it the same way.
Can’t wait to try this. One pot meals are so handy!
The best pasta memory I have isn’t about the most amazing dish I’ve ever had, instead its about the first meal I’ve ever made from scratch. I decided one day I was going to cook for my roommate because she wasn’t feeling well and the only thing I was really good at at the time was boiling noodles. I decided I was going to make my own pasta sauce from scratch with tomatoes and olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I cooked that all up and decided to add other fresh veggies, which included onion, peppers, and…. cucumber. At the time I had no idea that cucumber was not the kind of veggie you add in without preparing before hand.. So it made everything taste weirdly bitter! Well my roommate was trying to be nice and said it tasted “interesting”… I know a little better now
This may not be my favorite pasta memory but it does stick out. After the first time I made lasagna, I was complaining to someone about how peeling the garlic took forever. Yes, I had put the entire bulb in and not just one or two cloves!
My favorite pasta memory is from whenever I would visit my grandma and grandma as a kid, grandma would make stuffed pasta shells(every time, a classic), and grandpa would make bread, and we’d all line up in the kitchen and then eat it with all of the cousins around the dinning room table.
My favorite pasta memory is a dish claimed to be “Greek Spaghetti” at a dusty little Greek restaurant that (back in the day) featured a nightly piano player and singer. The sauce was comprised of browned butter (or sometimes black butter – depending on the d) over spaghetti and tossed with a bit of feta cheese, some paprika and I suspect a bit of parmesan or romano. It was probably the most artery clogging version of pasta I can imagine, but so unbelievable delicious that you didn’t care if you oozed butter out your pores for the next few days. I have not thought about that dish for a long time, and now I am tempted to make it – and perhaps add some capers and sundried tomatoes.
When I first heard of one-pot pasta I couldn’t believe how simple it would be to just throw everything into a pot. Of course I got intimidated but tried making it and it was successful! Would love to try it again with a Le Creuset pot!
Growing up in an asian household, pasta was pretty foreign to me. One day while playing video games at a friend’s (we were pre-teens), his parents insisted I stay for dinner. That was the day I was introduced to spaghetti & meatballs. Nothing fancy, but amazing every time!