I have been asked by several people my opinion on one pot pasta dishes. I had never tried the method myself so I felt like I was not the right person to "comment." While preparing for a last minute group of friends coming over this past weekend I was stumped on what I was going to throw together while tidying my apartment. etc. I had all the makings in my pantry for a recipe I had come across on Pinterest and thought, why not? I made this one pot puttanesca and was pleasantly surprised. This dish required minimal preparation, the outcome was delicious and I felt no guilt not preparing the pasta in a traditional fashion. If you have the time and can make everything from start to finish, I say do it. I love the process of making a sauce, cooking pasta perfectly and creating a dish. Time is not always on our side though and this offers a great solution for us in a pinch. I recommend using whole wheat pasta because the starch release helps makes for a lovely texture to the sauce. This dish is vegan but feel free to add cheese, it is the best! Another trick I did was used artichokes and olives that were already cured. I felt like the amount of salt I used on the finished product was almost none because the ingredients naturally flavored the dish.
Ingredients
12 oz whole wheat spaghetti
4 oz cured olives, I used a Spanish blend with chilis
1 pt or 14oz can of artichoke hearts, if cured just add to the dish, if canned rinse and drain
2 tbsp capers
1/2 large white or yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes no salt added
1 tb. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
salt, to taste, consider the other cured elements in the dish if using
3 cups vegetable broth, low sodium or no salt added
Instructions
Add the pasta to a large, deep skillet, breaking in half if needed (a saucepan may also work). Add the rest of the ingredients, minus the broth, to the pan on top of the pasta, don't feel obligated to recreate an artsy arrangement. Pour the vegetable broth over everything. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer (medium to medium-low heat) and, keeping covered & stirring occasionally, cook for 8-10 more minutes, or until pasta is done through. I like to give it a big toss, let is sit uncovered for about 3 minutes and serve. Garnish to your desire.
