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!
Growing up with six siblings, my mom occasionally had to cook for all of them, since they traded off chores to give her overworked parents a break. She figured out how to make spaghetti and meatballs pretty quickly, and uses the same recipe today. Except now, instead of cooking for nine, it’s for two. The giant vat of pasta that we get to eat for the next week is delicious, if a bit insane. It’s one of my favorite memories of time spent with her in the kitchen though. A little zany, a lot amazing, just like her.
…my mum once made a seafood BASED PASTA W SQUID INK PASTA, THE PASTa were the flat and thick kind, like linguini but wider, then again not as wide as pappardelle. the pasta itself, aside from the black color which was quite a novelty at that time, was pretty meh, but the sauce…it was good, not a tomato or cream based…i have no idea how my mummy make it
I love your blog!!! The photography is always amazing. My favorite pasta memory would have to be from my childhood. My dad would start making his sauce early in the afternoon. The smell of the onions and garlic cooking in olive oil was amazing and filled the house. He used tomatoes that we’re canned from our garden. The sauce that he makes is a little sweet and always tastes better the second day. I loved it over angel hair pasta! I still make his sauce today for my family. I am soooo excited for the giveaway, as I have been wanting a LeCreuset braiser for a very long time.
My best pasta memory was making pasta from scratch with my son. He was bout 9 years old and for some reason everything was making us giggle. We laughed the whole time. Now when ever we make pasta we end up laughing the whole time. My son will always want to make pasta from scratch because of the memory but I cannot tell you what was so funny that day. I guess we were just having a good time.
Hi again…I made this last night. I didn’t have scallops so subbed shrimp. So now I’ve finally tried one-pot pasta and I have to say your comparison of it to risotto is spot on. We felt like we were eating pasta with a cream sauce w/o the cream, butter, cheese. Thanks for being the motivation behind finally giving this technique a try. We definitely enjoyed it and will be making this again. : ) Take care!
I remember slurping spaghetti noodles with meat sauce when I was a little kid. My mom always made the best spaghetti: delicious, comforting and fun to slurp!
My favourite pasta memory was during my very first (and only so far!) visit to Florence. I was in grade 12, and had just done a semester of cooking school, and food was my passion (still is!). It was this surreal feeling of sitting down in this tiny little restaurant out in the warm open air with a slight breeze, not understanding the menu at all, but with a bit of help managed to order a plate of spaghetti with oil, chili flakes, parmesan and fresh shaved truffle. The pasta was cooked to perfection, and the combination of simple flavours exploded in my mouth. I will NEVER forget that dish.
And i’m from Canada, so i guess this contest doens’t apply…i just wanted to relive the experience again by sharing it! :)
ugh, i WISH i could do more canadian giveaways, but canadian companies don’t do giveaways. i would LOVE to do them though :(
Thank you for the chance to win a a Le Creuset braiser.
When my husband and I were first married and I first began cooking for real and liking it I used to make pasta dishes every Sunday night. First it was from a recipe and then I started adding things from the fridge and the pantry and doing different things and slowly more and more friends started showing up on Sunday for clean the fridge pasta night. It was a great way to end the weekend and a good excuse to get together with friends and to hone my cooking skills.
Pasta is at the top of my food chain! One of my favorites is simply linguini with butter, garlic, parm & fresh parsley & fresh ground pepper, with a glass of red wine – comfort all the way home! luv your site!
I am always making carbonara. It is my favorite meal when I don’t feel like cooking! I even taught it to my little sister who is 19 just in case she ever wants to impress a date. It is officially the only thing she can make that doesn’t come in a box or can! Win!