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!
Just after I moved to a new state, a family friend took me out to dinner. It was a strange but delicious dinner- we started with hamachi crudo with blood orange and fennel, and a salad, then moved on to the main event- the pastas. I got spaghetti with uni butter and it was the best pasta i’ve ever had. Subtle, briney, and unexpected. That meal, combined with the fact that I got to see someone who made my first few months in a new city more comfortable, was the perfect welcome dinner.
I love pasta with vodka sauce. I usually make it with penne, but decided to make it on a snowy Saturday night this winter and only had spaghetti around. My partner and I opened a bottle of red wine and had a lovely evening in the kitchen. Later that week we were eating leftovers and he was telling me about how he hated spaghetti as a child. He ate all other pasta, but never enjoyed spaghetti. I asked when he started liking it and he responded: “this week.” We are all evolving as eaters, but the fact that I made the pot that changed his mind is the best.
The pasta I’ve eaten in Italy will always be a winner, but I’m lucky to live in a city (Philadelphia) with vibrant Italian history and authentic food! Also, I just bought a house, and I would LOVE to win this beautiful braiser.
My favorite pasta memory is my grandmother’s blue crab mac and cheese. We would spend the Saturday summer evenings picking crabs and the remaining meat would be fold into a light cream sauce on Sunday for us for dinner. I was always more excited for the Sunday mac than the crabs
Having ravioli bolognese in Bologna, where my family is from, when I went on a trip to Italy with my parents and younger sibling. :)
I also remember first seeing this from Martha and then now, everywhere. I was/am a bit skeptical too but I’m coming around with versions like this. This looks scrumptious and I’m convinced I have to try this technique!
As for favorite pasta memory – everything around pasta seems warm and cozy but my favorite memory is having a dish of black squid ink pasta with seafood. It was special not only because it was delicious but because my husband and I were eating al fresco in front of the Pacific Ocean on our honeymoon! We spotted a whale or two also. : )
Yum yum. My favorite “pasta” memory is my dad making mac and cheese with whatever mystery meat was around the house when my mom worked nights in the OB department at the hospital.
My favorite pasta memory is when I was a child and my dad would make chicken parm and spaghetti for dinner. He would work all day, and then come home and put so much care and love into making the best chicken parm I have ever had. He used pounded out chicken thighs (so tender and juicy, never dry!) with a crispy fried breadcrumb crust. Then he smothered it in mozzarella and a zesty tomato sauce and baked it until it was bubbling and brown. The spaghetti was cooked al dente. With no sauce on top! I would cut up my chicken parm right on top of the spaghetti, and then eat the best part: The spaghetti would be covered in bits of breadcrumb crust, hot chicken thigh juice, drops of tomato sauce, and gooey cheese. I’ve nevered been able to replicate it myself, but I try every once in awhile. Far and beyond my favorite pasta experience.
When I was young and visiting my grandparents with my little sister my Oma (grandmother) would make us the most comfort-food recipe of all time: that tiny star-shaped pasta with butter and lots of parmesan. I can still taste how good it was and how much I loved my Oma for making us this dish and how decadent it felt to have pasta in the shape of stars.
Growing up, my Filipino grandma would make spaghetti for dinner pretty frequently. The best part was eating the leftovers the next day, cold, between two slices of white bread!