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 making spaghetti and meatballs for my grandparents while we were on vacation together. One of the meatballs fell on the floor and we laughed about it for years!
When I prepare my mom’s bolognese (The original recipe from my dad’s Italian stepfather) , memories of my childhood come back…the whole family at the dining table eating pasta.
Can you believe I was 18 years old before I ever had pasta? My parents were strictly meat and potatoes people and that’s all I ever had. We never went out to dinner, either, so it wasn’t until I was in college I even had spaghetti. The first week I was there, my friends took me to Olive Garden where I had the spaghetti and I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Now I make various pasta dishes all the time!
My favorite pasta memory was definitely making Spaghetti and Meatballs from scratch with my boyfriend on one of the first nights we were in our new house. It was the first kitchen mess we made in our new place and definitely the perfect comfort meal after moving in!
This looks better than Martha’s. I am trying it this week. Love your blog!
My favorite pasta memory was going to Street & Co. in Portland, Maine with my husband soon after we got married. We heard about their infamous “Lobster Diavolo for Two”, which comprised lobster tail, mussels, clams, shrimp, and calamari in a spicy red sauce over 2 pounds of pasta. When the waitress came to take our order, we asked if we should order extra appetizers in case we were still hungry. Her response was, “Oh, you might not be able to finish it, so I wouldn’t order any extra appetizers.” That sounded like a challenge to me! And so, we accepted the challenge. My husband and I cheered each other on (mostly me cheering him on at the end) and lo and behold – we finished it! Down to the last linguini strand. When the waitress came back at the end of the meal, she was very impressed. Victory was ours!!!
Oh, I forgot to mention my favorite pasta memory. My mom was an excellent cook and I learned alot from her but there was something about my dad’s pasta carbonara with salt pork and the egg and the fresh parsley and garlic that takes me back to being a little girl and watching him cook for us. It was an event!
I miss my pah- pa.
My favorite pasta memory is when I first made Marcella Hazan’s classic tomato sauce. I was doubtful that something consisting of such few ingredients could be flavorful and delicious. Boy, was I wrong! Sometimes simplicity is best (using the best ingredients, of course).
Sounds Delicious! My favorite pasta memory would be a hard toss up between the weekly Sunday Dinners at my Grandma’s house (we’re Sicilian) where she would make a feast for our family to gather around. She would get up at 4:30 to start the sauce. Hoping one day to be as good as she was!
The other favorite pasta memory was my mom’s favorite dish- a one pot pasta with linguine, peas, flaked salmon lemon & dill. Delicious!!!
Best pasta? So hard. I do remember tasting Pasta Putanesca from a little place in Pasadena Ca, Sushi of Naples. Opened my eyes to olives and anchovies. Nearly 20 years ago, still trying to get it right. Amazing!