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!
On tour with my old band outside of Salt Lake City years ago, our show was cancelled last minute. Without a place to stay or really any money for food, we pulled our old, beat-up Dodge Van over at a highway adjacent gas station and, eyeing an electrical outlet on the side of the building, plugged in out electric kettle. We cooked noodles in the boiling water, then added jarred sauce from the emergency pantry we kept in the van (which I called the Vantry). We ate from shared paper bowls while sitting on the pavement and dreamed of a perfect world of regular showers, enough couches for everyone to sleep on, and drink tickets that never ran out. It was the best one pot pasta dish I have ever had.
The first pasta dish I learned to cook after college, that came from my good friend, was called cheesy chicken & pasta. It was the first pasta recipe I added to my recipe book. Sauteed chicken breast tenderloins, zucchini, corn, and wagon wheel pasta tossed with pepper jack cheese! Not bad for a struggling college graduate!
I love my aunt’s meat and mushroom lasagna. So cheesey and rich. She makes it with love!
I am always adamant about making one pot pasta because I think it is just engrained in me to cook the pasta first, reserve some of the liquid, and then finish it off. Your photos definitely make me want to give it a try though and the short list of simple but flavorful ingredients make it even more worth while. Personally, my favorite pasta memory was the first time I made pasta a while ago. I had my cousin, aunt, mom, and sister in the kitchen with me with glasses of wine and helping roll out and cut/shape the pasta by hand.
Really bad pasta in Florence, Italy because it was a restaurant for tourist. Bad service, bad food, but free Parmesan on the table, of which, we used up all their Parmesan to make the subpar/expensive tomato pasta palatable. But the memories of that night were worth it!
I remember making pasta with my mother for my birthday. I don’t know how I came up with it, but that’s what I wanted for my birthday supper. I’m glad I did, because that memory stays with me :)
I’ve never tried a one pot pasta before – I’m always looking to simplify things and use less dishes though, so I’ll have to try it. That braiser looks gorgeous too! It’s hard to pick a favorite pasta memory… at my college graduation my family went out to a small family-run Italian place where I’d made friends with the owner, and he brought out a free plate of handmade gnocchi as a gift. I’d never had freshly made gnocchi before, only the kind from the package, and these were like little soft pillowy clouds in a gorgeous cheese sauce. I became obsessed with learning how to make them and experimenting with all sorts of types/flavors… so yummy!
I think one of my favorite pasta memories was when I successfully made pasta alla carbonara for the first time (the kind without cream, but with eggs and lots of cheese). I used pancetta instead of bacon and it all tasted so…right. A great milestone in my cooking career!
My favorite memory is of making carbonara for my huge extended family when I was probably too young to be doing such things. But I told my aunt I wanted to cook dinner for everyone, and she let me! My cousins helped out, and in the end we had a fancy kids-made meal for 20. Good to be self-sufficient at a young age ;)
my favorite pasta memory is making stuffed manacotti on a mini assembly line with the kids. They love to help cook and its great to have some help in the kitchen! Seeing all the hard work makes them more greatful for what it takes to make the meal and having a part in it gives them a sense of accomplishment.