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 memory is my mothers Sunday sauce with Italian sausage, pork ribs, meatballs and then she would poach some eggs in the sauce. good stuff.
My favorite pasta memory is of our whole family, gathered around a big table for Mom’s lasagna. The last time we had it was at Christmas time, and we had so many family and friends that we had to move dinner to a banquet hall to fit everyone! That ooey, gooey, cheesy pasta deliciousness has become our family favorite.
I voted for you. :) Had to vote for Michael Symon, too – he’s our hometown boy!
pasta memory: When my husband and I were dating he would sometime take me to his little apartment at the beach. They call it Caracas, but the town is about an hour drive away, so there are very limited options at the beach. He would bring these amazing pastas – he said they were pumpkin, but I think they were more likely some sort of squash ravioli from some little old lady who made tons of varieties of pasta and exquisite chocolate mousse. Having that perfectly sweet and savory ravioli with the man of my dreams? The thought of it still makes my eyes roll back up into my head.
I have memories of attempting to eat spaghetti at Italian restaurants and always making a huge mess, I quickly learned to save spaghetti for home and to order penne in restaurants to avoid being covered in sauce!
Sounds wonderful. I did make the Martha pasta ages ago and liked it a lot. But for some reason it didn’t get into the “rotation”. But anything with lemon, and I’m in.
Cold sesame noodles that I would get with my girl friend and now my wife in college.
My favorite pasta memory is probably falling asleep in my mother’s famous spaghetti after a long day playing outside as a kid. What a pillow!
The most amazing pasta I’ve ever had was at Le Coryllis, an Italian restaurant in Paris. I’ve been sightseeing all day with my friend, our feet were sore, and we were starving! When we tucked into the simplest of pasta dishes, it was SO amazing. We where basically doing a silent version of the diner scene from ‘When Harry met Sally’. It was that good!
I was a super picky eater as a kid, so my mom made my favorite food – pasta con broccoli, and I would ask her to put in all the broccoli and mushrooms, but then I’d around them! Then I grew up, learned to love my vegetables, and I still make pasta con broccoli whenever I’m feeling homesick (and eat it all now, haha).
My favorite pasta memory comes from the summer after my senior year of high school. My girlfriend and I made pappardelle from scratch, along with a simple summer tomato sauce with fresh basil, in the kitchen of a home were she was housesitting. We ate it on the screened back porch.
Good times, good times.