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!
When I was in fifth grade, one of the teachers decided to teach a week-long cooking class to a few lucky students. The most popular dish by far was a creamy, slightly spicy dish called chicken fricassee. I took the recipe home to my dad (who–don’t tell my mom–is the best cook in my family), who took a glance at it and started cooking immediately. Problem was, we were missing probably half of the ingredients! That did not bother my dad, who made a few substitutions but mostly relied on his tongue. The end result was a creamy, mushroomy, basil-y, oniony, cheesy pot of chicken goodness. He threw in a bunch of pasta at the end because he wasn’t sure there would be enough for everyone. To this day it’s one of my favorite dishes to make, especially for company. It’s also the perfect recipe for when I’m homesick; making a pot instantly takes me back to my dad’s kitchen ^^
Lovely lovely!! I love le creuset- I just got a dutch oven for V-day (thank you, hubby) and I’ve been in love with it! My favorite pasta memory was one I bungled… it was in college, and my husband and I were not yet engaged and I wanted to make him a meal. Ha… it did not turn well, but everything else did :)
my favorite pasta memory is actually from a few months ago. i made homemade mac and cheese for the first time (my aunt’s recipe) with king crab from prince edward island. i was so worried that the sauce would turn out grainy and inedible but it was perfect. i was ecstatic!
My favorite pasta memories include making homemade spaghetti and meatballs in the winter with my mom. Simply the best!
I was going to talk about a pasta dish that I made, but my NEW favorite pasta memory is from this past Valentine’s Day. My darling 12 year old daughter planned out a whole dinner menu that included chicken pot pie, baked potato soup, and mac and cheese. She went through each recipe many times to make sure we had everything, and I was so happy to be HER sous chef this time. The dinner was delicious, filled with love, and very special to all of us.
Thanks for a chance at the lovely braiser, Stephanie! :)
My Dad made pasta for us every Sunday when I was growing up. I have tried making it according to his “recipe,” but it never tastes the same. Even today, nothing takes me back to my cozy, happy childhood than smelling his sauce.
I’ve never tried one-pot pastas either, so glad to know it worked out so well for you!
I made probably the best lasagna of my life recently, which happens to be awful timing because I started WW at the beginning of the year and, well, pasta isn’t high up on the list of things I’m supposed to eat a lot of! But I took two hours on a Sunday to make a pork bolognese sauce, then paired it with a ricotta/fresh mozzarella blend and some flat noodles in the oven for an hour. It was absolutely divine!
This is my first time commenting, and I’m sure you hear this all the time, but your photography is absolutely GORGEOUS. Major inspiration!
I’ve tried a one pot pasta one time with spaghetti and milk. It turned out beautifully!
My favorite pasta memory is when my mom made pasta for holidays and would add food coloring to the boiling water to dye the pasta. We had red (or pink, really) pasta for Valentine’s Day, and green pasta on St. Patrick’s Day. It was a small little way to celebrate, but I looked forward to it every year :-)
My favorite pasta moment was when the first time I made penne vodka from scratch for my 11 year son. It was his favorite pasta dish and being from an asian family background, my family grew up on jarred pasta sauces and chef boyardee because we didn’t know how to make Italian food from scratch (especially sauces). After hours of research, i made him my very first vodka sauce. My son said to me, that was the best penne vodka he ever had and it was better than the restaurant. Totally melted my heart <3