Last weekend I got an email from Robyn with a link to this really cool recipe over at Apron Strings. I love cooking pasta and rice in liquids other than water, so this idea for a one pot pasta dish (which is originally from Martha Stewart Living Magazine) was right up my alley!
This dish is incredibly easy and super flavorful. The pasta cooks in a mixture of broth, herbs, and aromatics, like onion and garlic, which really ramp up the flavor. The starch that leaches off of the pasta as it cooks helps create a thick sauce right in the pot. It’s magic! So fast, so easy, and SO flavorful. I do want to mention, though, that if you’re the type of person that can’t handle pasta any other way than al dente, you may not like this one. The pasta can get a little soft, if you let it cook even just a little too long.
I made a few changes to the original recipe, as usual, to fit my needs. First, instead of using fresh basil, which can cost an arm and a leg, I used frozen spinach for a pop of green and increased the dried basil to make up for the flavor. Second, I wanted more “stuff” in my pasta, so I used a larger can of diced tomatoes and reduced the amount of vegetable broth to compensate. Lastly, I added a light sprinkle of shaved Parmesan over top. Other great ideas for add-ins: mushrooms, parmesan, artichoke hearts, or olives.
I think next time I’ll save adding the frozen spinach until the end so that it will defrost and heat quickly from the pasta’s residual heat. That way the spinach will stay bright green and pretty, and it will not darken the pasta as it cooks. But hey, either way it tasted fantastic!
Photos and prices updated 8/22/16
Italian Wonderpot
- 4 cups vegetable broth $0.52
- 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.22
- 12 oz. fettuccine $0.75
- 8 oz. frozen chopped spinach $0.72
- 28oz. can diced tomatoes $1.68
- 1 medium onion, sliced $0.42
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced $0.32
- ½ Tbsp dried basil $0.15
- ½ Tbsp dried oregano $0.15
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes $0.03
- freshly cracked pepper to taste $0.05
- 2oz. shaved Parmesan $1.25
- Add four cups of vegetable broth to a large pot. Break the fettuccine in half and add it to the pot along with the canned tomatoes (with juices), olive oil, frozen spinach, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
- Make sure the ingredients are submerged under the liquid, place a lid on top of the pot, and then turn the heat on to high. Allow the pot to come up to a full boil over high heat, then remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium.
- Allow the pot to continue to boil over medium heat, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir the pot every few minutes as it cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, but avoid over stirring which can cause the pasta to become sticky.
- Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan just before serving.
Step by Step Photos
Start with four cups of vegetable broth. The flavor intensity and salt content of your broth will make a big difference in the end flavor of the pasta. If you use a low sodium broth, the pasta will taste bland. I use Better Than Bouillon soup base for all of my broths because it is really flavorful, much less expensive than boxed or canned broths, and I can mix up any amount needed. These little jars last forever in the refrigerator, too, so it’s there whenever you need it. And no, I am not being paid to endorse it. :)
Add the four cups of broth to a large pot along with 12 oz. fettuccine, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 8oz. frozen spinach, a 28oz. can diced tomatoes (with the juices), 1 sliced onion, 4 cloves garlic (minced or sliced), 1/2 Tbsp dried basil, 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and some freshly cracked pepper. Although I show the fettuccine whole here, it’s best to break the pasta in half to help it fit in the pot and make it easier to stir later.
Briefly stir the pot and make sure all the pasta is submerged. Place a lid on the pot and bring it up to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a full boil, remove the lid, turn the heat down to medium, and give it a stir. Make sure it’s still bubbling away when you turn the heat down. It needs to continue boiling for this to work.
Let it boil for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated. Only stir once every few minutes to keep the pasta from sticking. Over stirring it can make the pasta overly mushy and sticky.
And then it’s done and it tastes amazing! Cool, huh? Sprinkle a little shaved Parmesan over top just before serving. This Italian Wonderpot deserves a cape for being so amazing. That bowl was gone in 60 seconds. 👅
I’d like to slice up and add some Italian sausage to this recipe. When do you think would be a good time in the recipe steps to do so? Or should I cook the sausage separately and add it to the pot before serving? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this next weekend!
I would sauté it in the pot first before adding anything else, then once browned add the rest of the ingredients and cook as directed. :)
Looks and sounds delicious, will definitely try this.
Can it be stored and reheated easily, or would the pasta get a bit mushy if it’s just left in the fridge?
The pasta does get softer, so if you’re sensitive to textures like that you may not like it. I enjoyed the leftovers, though. :)
What changes do I need to make to use whole wheat fettuccine????
I’d have to test it out to know for sure. Whole wheat pasta cooks differently than regular pasta.
I recently made pretty much the same dish. I also wanted something more in it, so I added a tin of sardines in olive oil (saw someone else add them to another similar dish). It was really nice! It worked a lot better than I expected it to. Would definitely try again with the modifications made here.
I don’t normally leave comments about recipes I try for my family, but feel I need to on this one! My family LOVED it! My youngest daughter (8) has autism and is pretty particular about the foods she will eat and oldest daughter (13) tends to say “eww” on new things before she has a chance to try it.
So, the husband and I both thought this one sounded pretty good and were going to try it anyway. One change we both agreed on was to add 1lb ground italian sausage.
Both girls ate 2nds and the husband said it had great flavor! We will definitely be making this again!!
Great recipes and quick. Simple. Like them.
Bland mush. Easy, but that’s about it. You’re much better off cooking pasta the usual way and cooking up the other ingredients — with more oomph added per your preference — in another pot. I followed the directions
None of the three pasta fans here would even finish it; we ended up throwing a lot out. It was only edible steaming hot with a load of feta. One of my metrics for ‘Is this genuinely delicious food?’ is that it still tastes nice enough at room temp, and you don’t need to drown it in cheese or hot sauce or salt or whatever to fix its flaws. This is not genuinely delicious, just bog standard easy slop for busy families — which is fine for unfussy folk in a hurry, but a total waste of time and ingredients if you were hoping to serve a truly good meal.
An italian would NEVER cook pasta like this…..