One Pot Pasta
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The easiest, most amazing pasta you will ever make. Even the pasta gets cooked right in the pot. How easy is that?!
This is probably by far the easiest pasta dish you will ever make in your entire life. It’s literally a 5-min prep, and then everything gets tossed right in the pan, including the uncooked spaghetti. Let the water come to a boil and that is it.
The hardest part is waiting for the pasta to cook through and having the liquid reduced, which really just takes about 8-10 minutes. Not long at all.
Stir in your freshly grated Parmesan (freshly grated is key here) and top with additional Parm, if desired.
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
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, combine spaghetti, sausage, onion, tomatoes, basil, garlic and 4 1/2 cups water; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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I was DEEPLY skeptical about this recipe – how could it POSSIBLY work? But…it was late, I was tired and husband was hungry, so I tried it. OMG! Absolutely fabulous – the starchy pasta water combines with the fat from the sausage to make a delightful, silky sauce – there was plenty of flavor and, thank heavens, there’s some leftover for tomorrow. Hooray!!!
What am I doing wrong if after 10+ minutes there is still a lot of water in the pot?
A lot of factors can at play here but I worry that your heat source may be set too high.
This sounds delish! I plan on making it tonight, but do you think you could substitute a cup of white wine in place of 1 cup of water?
You can certainly try substituting white wine but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. It is always best to use the ingredients listed in the recipe to obtain the best results possible.
Made this last night but subbed chicken stock for water, browned 1 lb of 1/2&1/2 mild and hot ground italian sasuage (had it on hand already) used a couple cans of italian seasoned diced tomatoes as I forgot to buy fresh, and added a couple handfulls of spinach. Turned out SO GOOD! Definitely going to make it again, and play some more. More spinach next time, some mushrooms, maybe zucchini. So much you can do with it. Thanks!!
Omg I just cooked this for dinner. I added broccoli, seasoned chicken, and 2TBSP of tomato paste. I am a lover of one pot mesls. Will be back to let you all know how it tsste but I can say it smells and looks delish!!!!
Can’t wait to try this! Just one question – did you pull the basil out before you served it (am I supposed to do that too?)? The final pictures look like the basil is gone.
No, there is no need to discard the basil – it actually cooks down so it’s not as visual as it should be!
It looks like I’m the only one with this issue but I used my 8qt pot and the noodles on top did no cook through so I eventually ended up adding 2 more cups of water. By the time the uncooked noodles were finished, the cooked noodles were nearly mush! Ugh just waisted a lb of pasta. Now, don’t get me wrong, my 6yr old loves it but I just have a thing with pasta, it has to be perfect for me & these were a bit too soft. I added oregano & mushrooms and it had a good light flavor but I’m gonna try it with chicken broth next time & I ‘ll definitely break the spaghetti in half the next time I use this pot.
I worry that perhaps your heat source was set too high or there was just not enough liquid. Although I’m happy to hear that your 6-yr old loved it! 🙂
You’re probably right because I did keep it boiling until all the noodles softened. So how long should it boil before I reduce the heat? I used the 4&1/2 cups of water but it ended up being very shallow in my big pot. I’ll use a smaller pot next time. BTW, thanks for the help I’ve never been any good with cooking pasta and rice, I can never get the consistency right.
The minute it starts boiling, it should be reduced to a simmer. And yes, by using such a wide pot, there will not be enough liquid for the pasta on top, resulting in an uncooked result.
Ok I made this again with my new 3qt ceramic Dutch oven & it was delicious! My pasta is like butter, it’s so slick and perfect. I used Earl Campbell spicy sausage this time because the flavor of the andoullie at my local grocery store just didn’t stand up well to being boiled. I skipped the onions & added some cumin & I think I have a new favorite dish. Thanks for sharing!
Yum! This looks so good! I just sent the recipe to two friends. I hope to try it soon! I also really like the formatting of the recipe. Nice and easy on the eyes!!!
Made this last night. I doubled the garlic and used chicken broth instead of water. It was amazing. Thank you!
Hey this is actually good we made it. Eating it right now…!
Could large shrimp be added to this?
Yes, absolutely, but I would add cooked shrimp at the very end to avoid the possibility of overcooking the shrimp.
I’m going to try this. I’m not a big fan of basil. Any suggestions for a substitute?
You can try substituting other fresh herbs such as thyme or oregano.
When you say grated parmesan, do you mean the kind that comes in the container or freshly grated?
It is always best to use freshly grated.
These one-pot pasta dishes are so handy when I’m cooking for 30 people, thank you!
Just checking recipe says 2 cups fresh basil is that correct?
Yes, that is correct – 2 cups fresh basil, loosely packed. But feel free to add more or reduce as needed, to taste.
What is best size of spaghetti to use? Don’t want mush, but have never liked spaghetti that’s very thick. Thanks.
Standard spaghetti noodles should be just fine, but I would steer clear of using something like angel hair or fettuccine.
I love this recipe! How do I add veggies without overcooking them? And do you know what the nutritional values are?
If you are worried about overcooking additional veggies, you can try cooking them separately and adding it in at the very end – although that would defeat the purpose of a one pot meal! As for the nutritional information – unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing nutritional information for any of my recipes. I recommend utilizing online calorie counters at your discretion to obtain such information.
Definitely saving this recipe! Such deliciousness made in only one pot? Yes!
hmmmmm——looks fabulous and is great idea. only thing i would suggest is saute onions first. they have such a better flavor when cooked first w/oil,butter&salt. thanks for your ideas. llc
I’m gonna be makin’ this! Just what I’ve been looking for!