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!
Pasta. My favorite pasta now is the black bean spaghetti with potpourri vegetables and a touch of cream coconut.
I looooove homemade spaghetti and meatballs..comfort in a bowl. I make mine with ground veal & ground beef, parsley, panko, egg, garlic and Parmesan cheese.
I loved making pasta with my dad when I was little. We would make the dough and use the pasta maker to make it into fettuccine or spaghetti. We would then fry parsley and garlic, toss the pasta in the sauce, and have the most memorable meal :)
I loved making stuffed pasta shells with my mom growing up!!
Making lasagna with my mom!
My favorite pasta recipe is my mom’s spaghetti and meat sauce!
My favorite pasta memory was pretty recent. My girlfriend and I tried making homemade mushroom ravioli and it was a mess. I think half of the ravioli survived cooking without splitting open. After that was done we still had about half a recipe of the filling, but there was no way we were tackling ravioli again so soon. I put all of the filling in a lasagna, used store-bought noodles, added some canned tomatoes and it was the best lasagna I’ve ever had.
i think my favorite pasta memory is dinner at my great-grandmother’s every saturday. she didn’t always make pasta (though there was usually some around – we are italian after all) but when she did there were generally MEATBALLS!! i’ve tried my whole adult life to get them just right and i still need some work to get them as soft and delicious.
When I first started dating my boyfriend, I decided I needed to teach him the basics of how to cook via a series of dinners. One of the first meals he asked for was spaghetti, which I’m not too big on, so I bought a flat of italian sausage instead of ground beef. He’s not a real adventurous eater, so this was a wild change for him (while I thought it was nothing special). He absolutely loved it though! To this day he still calls it “our pasta” and is one of the only meals he knows how to make.
when I was living in Australia, a friend of mine taught me how to make homemade pasta by hand. we recruited other friends to make homemade bread, salads, and a few sauces, and we all had a feast (plus wine of course). It was my favorite pasta meal ever