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This Easy One-Pot Pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner – uncooked pasta, veggies, and sauce combine and cook together in one pot in only 20 minutes!
One-Pot Pasta. Also known as the ultimate cozy weeknight dinner because it’s quick, easy, satisfying, and easy to pack with veggies. Plus, cleanup is a breeze 😉 Let’s get into it…
INGREDIENTS FOR ONE-POT PASTA
This 20-minute meal comes together with only a few key (and affordable!) ingredients:
- Dry Pasta (yes, uncooked)
- Pasta Sauce
- Water
- Onion & Garlic
- Veggies!
I decided to use a combination of tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach for my pasta, but you can really use whatever you have on hand! Take some away, add extra ones in – you do you, boo.
HOW TO MAKE ONE-POT PASTA
The secret to success in one pot pasta is cooking the dry pasta with just the right amount of water in order for the noodles to cook completely – without leaving any extra liquid behind. Luckily I’ve done all the work for you, and all you need to do is follow the (very, very easy) recipe!
- Pour the pasta on the bottom of the pot or pan
- Add the remaining ingredients
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer until the pasta is al-dente
- Serve and enjoy!
THE BEST NOODLES FOR ONE-POT PASTA
This One Pot Pasta can be made with both gluten-free and gluten-full noodles, but I would recommend using shorter shapes over longer ones, like spaghetti. Longer noodles are harder to stir and tend to stick together more while they cook. Shorter noodles can be stirred immediately (which is important) and and often as needed – no need to wait until they soften.
If you do opt for gluten-free noodles, I have found that brown rice pasta seems to work the best, followed by other corn + grain blends. Bean and lentil-based pastas fall apart in one pot recipes and release more starch, which leads to a gummier final product.
I LOVE this One-Pot Pasta recipe because it’s fuss-free, easy, and downright delicious! I personally think that one-pot noodles taste better too. Because they’re simmering in our actual sauce (and with our veggies) instead of just pasta water, they have at least double the flavor! I also like how the pasta releases a little starch as it cooks, which helps to make our sauce nice, thick, and creamy.
If you’re looking for more one-pot pasta recipes, you’ll also love this One Pot Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff, this One Pot Pumpkin Pasta, and this One Pot Spinach & Artichoke Pasta!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintEasy One-Pot Pasta
This Easy One-Pot Pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner – uncooked pasta, veggies, and sauce combine and cook together in one pot in only 20 minutes!
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2 to 4 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry pasta*, gluten-free or regular
- 8 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small zucchini, chopped and quartered
- 3 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cup pasta sauce of choice
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 3 ounces fresh spinach
Instructions
- Add the uncooked pasta to a large pot (or pan with deep sides). Add the remaining ingredients – except for the spinach – and mix well. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and cook the pasta for 10-14 minutes, until al-dente. Stir the mixture every 2 minutes to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan. (Note: cooking times will vary based on the type of pasta used. I suggest you start to check for doneness based on the minimum cook time on the package instructions)
- Turn the heat off and fold the spinach into the pasta. Once the spinach has wilted, divide the pasta into serving bowls and top as desired. This recipe is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Pasta: this recipe will work both gluten-free and gluten-full pasta, so use what works for you! I suggest you use shorter pasta shapes (such as penne, rotini, shells, marcaroni) over longer noodles as they cook more evenly in this method. If you are using gluten-free pasta, I have found that brown rice pasta works best.
- Vegetables: feel free to add, subtract, or substitute any of the veggies here!
Tastes bad
So easy, everyone loved it!
So happy to hear that, Suzie!
I LOVE THIS RECIPE. The first time I tried it, it was very bland. So I recommend replacing the water with your favorite broth (chicken, vegetable, beef, ect.) It makes this recipe so worth it! It is super affordable as well!🥰
this recipe is horrendous. it has too much water so I had to cook it to hell until the water absorbed, but that means soggy as shit pasta and watery as shit sauce. 0 stars, would not recommend to my least favorite person
– Followed amounts as closely as possible
– Noticed water+pasta sauce wasn’t reaching over other ingredients
– I decided to add the rest of my jar of pasta sauce. A jar is about 3 cups of sauce. Also added another 1 cup of water. I realized maybe that was the point and I should have done that but I decided I’ll just let it simmer longer and remove the water. Some people in comments said the water made it too thin anyway, and this will put more of the ratio to paste sauce over water, so I figured this probably won’t be a problem.
– Added spices mentioned in another comment because that sounds amazing (paprika, basil, oregano, thyme, pepper; holding parm for a topper) about a tsp of each, double the basil
– after 7 minutes I realized I did not heed the instruction about stirring. I then reduced the temperature and added another 7 minutes to my timer because I was not interested in stirring every 2 minutes
– put some in a bowl, topped my bowl with some parm (the real stuff of course) and a sprinkle of thyme to make it look fancy (things taste better when they look fancy)
– paired it with a bottle of Corona
My biggest mistake is that simmering for longer meant the noodles didn’t have that bit of firmness. It was still really good. I’m rating this 5/5 for very easy, pretty tasty, and pretty hard to mess up (even if you do).
I’m happy it worked out in the end!
I added paprika, dried basil, oregano, thyme, fresh black pepper, and a little parmesan and it was great!
amazing! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
Really enjoyed this. Making it second time. Thanks
so glad!
Sadly this was so bland 🙁
I tried this, and played fast and loose with the ingredients, trusting to my own kitchen skill. (Tasting as I went, too.) It came together so simply and easily, I just loved it. I used shallots instead of onions and garlic powder instead of cloves of garlic, just because it was what I had handy. The flavours complimented each other so well. Loved it.
So happy you enjoyed!
This was quick, easy and good! I used a half cup less water than this recipe called for, and I found that I needed to add more seasoning (granulated garlic and onion, Adobe, Italian seasoning) since the water diluted the pasta sauce and made it kinda bland. But overall, a great addition to my list of go-to meals.
So glad you enjoyed, Yvette!
Looks delicious! Trying it soon. Thanks!
enjoy!!
Probably the most ok
-ish dish I’ve ever made.
Sorry if I am being silly, but when do you add the pasta sauce?
Hi Sophie! You add the pasta sauce in step 1 with the remaining ingredients.
I went for this because it looked quick and easy, I’ll make it again because it was good 👍
So glad you enjoyed it Michelle! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review
“Absolutely delicious! The perfect balance of flavors and so easy to throw together. I’m making this again for sure! – Fation from http://www.pastadaily.com“
Unfortunately the recipe did work for me. The sauce came out too runny and it turned into a tomato soup with pasta.
Excellent & easy!
I made that recipe yesterday and we looooved it!
Quick, easy and packed with delicous vegetables, thank you so much! <3
Amazing! So glad, Lina!
Baby Bella and Cremini mushrooms are one and the same. 😉 They’re also the more mature version of white mushrooms and the less mature version of portobello mushrooms.
Hey just wondering can add minced beef to this before I add in the pasta?
Hi Emiliana! I’m vegan so I haven’t tested this, however I’d think you’d want to brown the beef first and set aside, make the pasta, then add it in again at the end to prevent it from being overcooked or soggy.
I just wanted to come back and thank you for this recipe. I made it on Thursday night and my 9 year old daughter has asked for this for supper every night since lol. She calls it Rainbow Mama Pasta because I used “constellation” cherry tomatoes and tri-color rotini lol. She usually won’t eat leftovers but she was excited we has some of this left!
I had to use Baby Bellas because they didn’t have Cremini and it was still delicious. I also used about a tsp of Italian Seasoning in leu of the red pepper. It was delicious, I loved it too!
I can tell this will be a comfort meal of hers for a long time and that’s really special, so thank you!