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!
Definitely min teaching me how to make Mac and cheese that did not involve a box. I remember the mystifying instruction “keep stirring until it smells right”, not understanding what flour and butter was supposed to smell like. The results were great, and I still make it the same way.
The first taste of ramen at Ippudo. Transcendent.
Also when my daughter told me I make the best lasagna … or, as she called it, omelet.
I remember the first time I tried to make pasta at home (without a machine or roller) and made these beet noodles that looked a heck of a lot more like pastrami than it did anything else! We joked that we were eating “meat” noodles and not beet noodles, but they tasted fine all the same. Future attempts have been much more successful :)
My grandmother used to always make us spaghetti sauce. I can remember sitting at the kids table in her home with a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs and a big green can of kraft parmesan. Now, I sub out for the real stuff :)
One pot pastas make it so easy for a mom to amke dinner! Please come up with more one pot recipes!
I still have not made one-pot pasta! It’s on my list. I’m the worst–I always add the pasta right to the soup, and then complain the next day when the noodles soak up all the broth. When will I learn?
xo
I hope this counts as a favorite pasta memory… I recently made a lovely Valentine’s Dinner for my wonderful Valentine. I made Coq au Reisling paired with Cacio e Pepe (from the blog “Not Without Salt” so it included a little cheese bowl!!) and roasted brussel sprouts. It was the best meal I’ve made to date! The company helped, along with the sentiment of the day, but the peppery, buttery simplicity of the cacio e pepe was wonderful! Next on my list to tackle is gnocchi. Not sure why, but it always alludes me!
My favorite pasta memory is when my Dad was in charge of making dinner (only when my Mom was going out) he would make us shells with cabot cheddar for the best mac and cheese! It is still my go to comfort food!
My favorit pasta memory is from when I was a kid. I was on holiday with my family in Italy and had a pasta dish for dinner at a restaurant, those long pastas were not easy to eat (it must have looked quiet funny…!) but gosh it was good!
My favorite pasta memory is from a family trip to Europe when I was about 16. We were with a commercial tour group that took us to the island Burano near Venice and set up a lunch for us. It was possibly a tourist trap, but I remember thinking it was the best meal I’d ever had! There were multiple courses including one pasta – not the American-style spaghetti and meat sauce that I was used to, but a simpler “first course.” Loved it all!