One Pot Pasta
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Looking for a quick and delicious meal? This easy one pot pasta recipe combines tender noodles, savory garlic, and a rich tomato base — all cooked in a single pot. Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s perfect for busy weeknights and hassle-free cleanup. Whether you’re a beginner in the kitchen or a seasoned cook, you’ll find everything you need to make the best one pot pasta right here.
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What is One Pot Pasta and Why You Should Try It
One pot pasta or one pan pasta is an easy pasta dish where the uncooked pasta cooks alongside everything else – meat, vegetables, herbs and seasonings – in a single pan. As the dish simmers, the starch from the pasta will help transform some of the leftover pasta water into the most lovely saucy consistency, coating the spaghetti so perfectly.
Top Reasons to Make One Pot Pasta Tonight
- Perfect weeknight dinner. With one pot to clean up and 5 min prep time, this no-fuss pasta dinner could not get any easier, perfect to keep in your back pocket for those busy weeknights between homework and soccer pick up.
- Great for company. Not only does this come together lightning fast but this is also fancy (and impressive) enough to serve to company. They don’t have to know how easy this really is!
- Short ingredient list. The ingredient list is short, simple and budget-friendly. Not to mention, most of the ingredients are already pantry staples.
How to Make the Easiest One Pot Pasta in 20 Minutes
- Add all the ingredients to a big pot (including the uncooked pasta)
- Bring to a boil and simmer until the pasta is al dente and most of the water is absorbed by the pasta, about 10 minutes – stir as needed
- Add fresh Parmesan, season with additional basil, salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and serve
Essential Tips for Making Perfect One Pot Pasta
- Use a heavy pot. A heavy bottom pot, such as a Dutch oven, is ideal here for ample space for long pastas (such as spaghetti) and even heat distribution.
- Fresh basil is best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs in a pinch, fresh basil is ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Halve the recipe. For smaller portions to serve 2 people, this recipe can easily be halved as needed.
- Stir, baby, stir. Be sure to keep an eye on the pasta, stirring as needed, to ensure that everything cooks evenly and to prevent sticking.
- Freshly grated cheese goes a long way. While pre-grated Parmesan cheese will save a few minutes in the kitchen, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or domestic Parmesan is highly recommended. This gives the favorited rich, nutty flavors, creating a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Add your finishing touches with a drizzle of high quality extra virgin olive oil, adding a smoother, silkier texture and preventing the pasta from sticking and drying out.
- Mix it up. Use chicken or vegetable broth in place of water (or use half and half) for additional flavor, try different veggies (ex. zucchini for tomatoes) or sub a different kind of pasta such as fettuccine or linguine.
Best Side Dishes to Serve with One Pot Pasta
Essential Tools for Making One Pot Pasta
Dutch oven
One Pot Pasta: Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! The beauty of this recipe is that the spaghetti cooks alongside the rest of the ingredients for a true one pot meal.
Yes! Pastas with a similar cook time such as fettuccine or linguine can be used in place of spaghetti.
Pre-packaged shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can hinder their ability to melt smoothly. Freshly grated cheese is best, adding a handful at a time for a smooth consistency.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, adding a splash of water as needed when reheating.
One Pot Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cups halved grape tomatoes
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 ½ cups water
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, combine spaghetti, sausage, onion, tomatoes, basil, garlic and water; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan.
- Serve immediately, drizzled with olive oil.
Video
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I made this the other night and it was so delicious! Made plenty of leftovers, add sauteed zucchini, bell peppers, and snap peas to amplify it for day 2! 🙂
I am definitely going to make this! Just one question though… how come the tomatoes are divided? Do you add half in right away to be cooked, and then add the other half just before serving?
My apologies, Marcia! The tomatoes should not be divided. I just updated the recipe. Thanks for letting me know!
I’ve tried a one pot pasta meal made with spaghetti in the past and seemed like it was very starchy. I assumed it was because the pasta cooked in the pot and the water wasn’t drained away. Does these one seem to be that way? I love the idea of this meal, but I was disappointed in the previous recipe I tried.
I actually didn’t find this to be starchy at all!
Hi Chung-Ah,
My wife has celiac’s disease so we eat rice pasta exclusively. That pasta does leave a LOT of starch in the water. If we were to cook the pasta separately, how would we go about making this recipe? Half the amount of water?
Jeff, without further recipe testing with rice pasta, I cannot really advise exactly how much water to use. You can start with half the amount of water, if not more, and ladle out the excess as needed.
Hi Jeff,
I used quinoa pasta and my whole dish ended up being ruined because it had the consistency of wall paper paste. 🙁 Did you have this trouble with the rice pasta? Thanks!
I just moved into a new home and needed a quick dinner to fuel me while unpacking (so I didn’t have to eat any more take out). I found your recipe on Pinterest and LOVED it!!! I only made one small change which was to use bulk like Italian sausage instead of andouille and brown it in the pot before adding everything else. (My store was out of andouille). Thank you so much for sharing!!
Wonderful recipe!! You just dump and turn on the heat. I followed the recipe except I addd 2 chicken bullion cubes and turkey kielbasa because my husband doesn’t eat pork. I did added more water as well …other than that it was GREAT!!!!!!!! adding this to our dinner dish. Thanks
No kidding around! Best and easiest dish there is! My husband after one bite said it was really good. Mr food critic himself never says that! Awesome recipe! Thank you!
This recipe is amazing! I just made and followed the recipe, made no changes and it was great! We will be making this often! Thanks
This has been one of my favorite dishes so far from your site. It was amazing. I used Kielbasa because I’ve not heard of Andouille, but it looked like a similar kind. I, too, added mushrooms that I sauteed ahead of time, but my daughter added them raw, and both ways were perfect. This dish has definitely been added to our recipe lists. Just wonderful!
This recipe is fine, but the basil should go in at or toward the end.
James, feel free to add the basil before or after the meal is cooked. I’m sure it would go great at the end as an addition for some amazing basil flavor.
Can rice noodles be used?
Unfortunately, in a one pot dish like this, I don’t think other noodles other than standard pasta will work here.
I just made this last night and it was amazing!!! A huge hit with my somewhat picky family! I love how creamy the sauce gets when you add the cheese at the end. Great recipe!
Do I need to bring water to boil before adding pasta or can I add it cold? Want to try this for dinner this evening and do not want to mess it up.
There is no need to bring the water to a boil.
So my local store just had uncooked fresh cajun andouille sausage. Do I need to cook it separately before putting it in the pot?
No, there is no need to cook the sausage beforehand. That’s the beauty of this recipe – everything gets cooked in one pot!
awesome! Thanks 🙂
Does the same go for an Italian chicken sausage I have? Or should I brown that separately?
It depends – if you are able to slice it, it should be fine. If not, it may be best to remove the casing and crumble it first.
One pot anything is the greatest dinner ever!! Who actually likes to wash all those dishes after you’re done with dinner…NO ONE in their right mind haha! My favorite part about this dish, is the chunks of sausage..heyoooo. This recipe has deliciousness written all over it! 🙂
I make this tonight and I have to say, “wow”‘ it was super fast and easy and of course the bonus was, just one pot to clean :)) It was absolutely delicious, made it exactly as recipe except I used smoked moose sausage. Will definitely make it again.
Thanks Chung-Ah!
Hi
Can the recipe be done with rice noodles or other kinds of gluten free noodles? Has anyone tried doing this?
I tried it tonight with Gluten Free noodles. It did not turn out as expected but I covered it. So I’m not sure if the screw up is from the covered pot or GF noodles!
I just made this with rice noodles. It turned out amazing. I started out boiling the four cups of water before adding the ingredients, and then added 1-2 more cups as needed while the pasta was cooking. I am also dairy free so didn’t use any parmesan. It had a delicious sauce nonetheless. It is some kind of cooking magic. Yum. I did add some more spices (oregano, general italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes) as a substitute for the parmesan.
Is sausage spicy????? If so too spicy for a 6 and 8 yr old??????
It should be fine but if you want to play it safe, it may be best to use a sausage of your choice that is suitable for your children.
Your one-pot andouille sausage dish is on regular rotation at my house. Can’t wait to try this iteration. Looks just as delicious 🙂
Simple, hearty and delicious! This looks so tasty! Wishing you all the best for the moving 😀 Cannot wait to see more posts from you! x
Definitely making this meal on my next crazy busy night! Thanks 🙂
Brilliant recipe! Can’t wait to try it. The basil sitting in my windowsill has no idea what a delicious fate is ahead…