Can pasta be cooked in pasta sauce?

In order for the pasta to cook through sufficiently, the “sauce” needs to be liquidy enough for the spaghetti to absorb it well. If you were to substitute the pasta water with tomato sauce or marinara sauce, it would be too thick and make the spaghetti gummy.

How do you cook pasta without draining water?

The trick to making a true one-pot pasta is using the correct water-to-pasta ratio. This will allow the pasta to cook until perfectly al dente and ensure the pasta dish is not watery and flavorless. Double-check that you have your pasta-to-liquid ratio correct! For best results, weigh your spaghetti using a kitchen scale.

Can I use gluten-free pasta?

Gluten-free varieties of pasta vary widely in cooking times, textures, and consistency. For this reason, it’s hard to say if your gluten-free pasta will work well here. If you’d like to experiment, we’d recommend brown rice pasta. It’s as close in texture to its wheat-based counterparts and will likely hold up best. If you have good results with gluten-free pasta, let us and others know by leaving a comment!

Can I use fresh pasta?

One-pot pastas are best suited for dried pasta varieties. If you’ve made our Homemade Vegan Egg Pasta , Herbed Ricotta Ravioli , or Easy Butternut Squash Ravioli , they are best cooked according to the specific instructions written on each post.

Can I make this easy weeknight dinner in the pressure cooker?

We have unfortunately not tested this and can’t recommend it.

15-Minute One Pot Pasta

Name: One-Pot Pasta Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced; 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper; 2 1/4 cups water; 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved; 8 ounces spaghetti (or pasta of choice, see notes); 1/3 cup sliced basil; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon lemon zest, as desired; Black pepper, as desired; 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese, or to taste (homemade or store bought); ~2 tablespoons kalamata olives, halved (or olives of choice); 1/2 cup chopped kale or spinach

Description

This One-Pot Pasta is the fuss-free, easy dinner that’ll save the day on busy weeknights! It’s incredibly easy to make yet still packed with fresh flavors that will have the whole family coming back for seconds. Best yet, it’s made with 10 simple ingredients in just 15 minutes.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 1/4 cups water
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
8 ounces spaghetti (or pasta of choice, see notes)
1/3 cup sliced basil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon lemon zest, as desired
Black pepper, as desired
1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese, or to taste (homemade or store bought)

Optional Ingredients

~2 tablespoons kalamata olives, halved (or olives of choice)
1/2 cup chopped kale or spinach

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Instructions

In a wide skillet, pan or pot over medium heat, add in the olive oil. Once warmed, add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for about 1 minute.
Add in the water or broth, tomatoes, and spaghetti. If your pot is not wide enough to hold the full-sized noodles, break them in half before adding them in. Gently press down the spaghetti to submerge it in the liquid as best you can. Don’t worry if you can’t get it all covered, once the pasta begins to cook and soften up, it will be easier for you to press it down.
Bring the heat up to medium-high and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes.
Add in the kale and cook for 4 minutes more, or until the pasta is al dente. If the pasta is not cooked, add a little bit more water, cover the lid and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
Remove from heat and add in the basil, olives, salt, lemon, black pepper and vegan parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart.
Feel free to customize this recipe and make it your own. Other additional ingredients that would be tasty in this are zucchini, mushrooms, and vegan sausage.
Our favorite noodles are the spaghetti here as it cooks through the quickest but short pasta will work well too. You may just need a slightly longer time to simmer. Watch carefully to ensure your pasta cooks correctly, and add additional water as needed.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Entree
Method: Stovetop