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 macaroni pie. Macaroni is boiled and then mixed with milk, butter and cheese. It is then poured into a pan and baked into a “pie” of sorts. It was usually served with stew chicken, red beans and callaloo. This is a Trinidadian dish(my parents are from Trinidad) and it was considered a special meal. It reminds me of my childhood. Good food and good times.
My favorite pasta memory was when I let my son (then 7) cook pasta with me for the first time. We worked together both at the grocery store and at home in the kitchen to create a delicious dish with scallops, angel hair and a cream sauce (none of which he would have even tried had he not had a hand in the dish). It’s gone on to become a staple in our household.
My favorite pasta memory has to be when I was studying abroad in Italy in college. I was a super poor student on a shoestring budget, existing on suppli, cheap (delicious) pizza and table wine. But a friend and I decided to splurge on dinner and we walked into a tiny dimly lit restaurant in trastevere. I ordered a simple pasta vongole. I still remember my first bite. The taste was simple and perfect with a generous topping of happy manila clams. That pasta remains as a symbol of being young, far away from everyone I love, but feeling right at home.
Being Italian, I have SOOOO many pasta memories, but my absolute favorite doesn’t include eating or cooking whatsoever. In pursuit of my grandmother’s coveted recipe, we sat at her dining room table for a solid hour trying to decipher her “pinches” and “bits of this”. It still doesn’t come out right.
I actually recently just tried a one pot pasta and wondered where the heck I have been. The convenience of it and the lack of additional dish washing is perfection on its own. This looks quite delightful.
the first real adult meal my mom ever taught me how to make was a creamy chicken pasta dish. I actually think it was a one-pot meal, too. I have since forgotten the recipe, but I’ll never forget how psyched I was to learn to cook something that wasn’t canned soup!
The first meal my now-husband cooked for me was a shrimp and white wine pasta dish. It was pretty good, but I was actually more impressed with dessert–he made homemade crepes for me!
Favorite pasta memory is surprising my boyfriend with his favorite pesto gnocchi when he came home from work. It was still early in our relationship but I think that’s how I was able to steal his heart.
My favorite pasta memory is the one and only time I made my own in an adult ed cooking class.
my best pasta memory was trying tokyo fried chicken’s mac and cheese. soooooo good. i don’t even know where to begin describing its awesomeness.