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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.
This simple one-pot meal recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart’s popular one-pan pasta. We of course put our own spin on the recipe and although it was already good, we thought that we could still pack in a bitttt more flavor to take this vegetarian version to the next level.
Since developing this recipe, it’s become one of our favorite one-pot pasta recipes we make all the time! Nothing is better than whipping up a delicious meal with less dishes, fresh ingredients, and a short cooking time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Extra virgin olive oil: Not only does the oil cook the aromatics, but it is also used to coat the pasta and takes the place of a classic tomato sauce. For similar pasta ideas, you may like our Miso Garlic Butter Pasta, Easy Garlic and Herb Pasta, and Easy Vegan Pasta Primavera.
- Onion and garlic: A simple yet essential aromatic flavor base to start this dish off right.
- Red pepper flakes: Adds a minimal yet balanced amount of heat. Feel free to add more or less – adjust to your personal spice preference.
- Tomatoes: Along with the olive oil, the fresh cherry tomatoes help create the most beautiful delicate sauce for this dish. This one-pot pasta is the best way to use up garden tomatoes during the summer months.
- Spaghetti: Our favorite noodles are the classic spaghetti here as spaghetti cooks through the quickest and makes for an impressive final dish. If you have short pasta, it 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.
- Basil and lemon: Adds a burst of freshness and brighten up all of the flavors in this one-pot pasta.
- Vegan parmesan cheese: This is technically optional, but really takes this one-pot pasta to the next level! We highly recommend our 4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese recipe.
Equipment Needed
How to Make One-Pot Pasta
- Sauté the aromatics. In a wide, large skillet, pot or pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once warmed, add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add water, broth, tomatoes, and spaghetti. If your pot is not wide enough to lay the full length of the spaghetti in, break them in half before adding them in. Gently press the spaghetti down to submerge it in the liquid as best you can. If it isn’t completely covered, don’t worry. As the pasta begins to cook and soften, it will be easier to press down and fully submerge.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer. Increase the heat to medium-high heat, then allow the broth mixture to come to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add kale. Cook for 4 minutes more, or until the pasta is al dente. If the pasta is not al dente after 4 minutes, add a little bit more water, cover, and add 1 to 2 minutes to the cook time.
- Stir in herbs and seasonings. Once al dente, remove the one-pot pasta from the heat and add in the fresh basil, olives (if using), salt, lemon juice, black pepper and vegan parmesan cheese.
- Serve. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Divide between individual serving bowls and enjoy while warm.
Serving Suggestions
This one-pot spaghetti can be served as a dinner main or quick and easy lunch. Serve with side dishes such as Vegan Garlic Bread or Garlic Herb Dinner Rolls. Or, for a lighter side, try our Simple Roasted Vegetables or Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad with Easy 5-Ingredient Croutons.
If you’re serving this one-pot pasta for a more special occasion, you may enjoy these simple starters and appetizers: Vegan Calamari with Oyster Mushrooms or Easy Vegan Cheese Fondue.
Storage Instructions
Leftover spaghetti pasta will store well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Although many of our recipes are freezer friendly, we wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish as spaghetti does not freeze very well. Plus, it is so simple to make fresh it’s worth it to do so!
To reheat pasta the next day, warm the pasta through in a skillet on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
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!
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.
We have unfortunately not tested this and can’t recommend it.
More Easy One-Pot Recipes You May Enjoy:
- One-Pot Red Curry Peanut Noodle Soup
- One-Pot Minestrone Soup
- One-Pot Vegetable Noodle Soup
- Easy Sweet Potato Lentil Soup
- 10 One Pot or One Bowl Vegan Recipes
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!
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One-Pot Pasta Recipe
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
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
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
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
This is my favorite pasta recipe! I love how lemony it is.
It is great!