Mommylicious
Mommy Lifesavers is a little series that I am starting to share some of the things that have been a blessing in my life since I have become a mom. The items featured in this series are things I was aware of previously but never really paid much attention to before the birth of my son. But now in this new-mommy phase of my life, these things have saved the day.
The first item in the series is the One Pot Pasta.
The internet has been brimming with various recipes of One Pot Pasta for a while now. I had no idea why anyone would make something like this when you can have pasta in many other (delicious but elaborate) ways. But when I was hard pressed for time, this is the recipe I resorted to.
Now the One Pot Pasta can be done in various ways. My go-to One Pot Pasta dish is made up of all things I almost always have on hand. I make it for either lunch or dinner. I make it when there are no leftovers in the refrigerator. I make it when I cannot find the time to go grocery shopping. Most importantly I make the One Pot Pasta when my 9 month old keeps me occupied all day long.
The One Pot Pasta is the busy/ sleep-deprived/ lazy but smart mom's escape.
Let's jump right into the pot.
Ingredients:
Pasta (of any kind, whatever you have on hand)
Veggies (as many types as you have sitting in your refrigerator)
Cheese (preferably Mozzarella and Parmesan, but add what you have)
Herbs (choose from Parsley/Oregano, fresh or dried)
Protein (optional, chicken/turkey/sausages/chorizo anything will do)
Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper (if you like a little heat)
Olive Oil
Water
Here I have used 1 small onion, half a tomato, 2 jalapenos, garlic and fresh parsley and spaghetti.
Method:
- Chop up the veggies and fresh herbs. Mince the garlic.
- If you want to add any protein, chop and fry that up and keep aside.
- As the name suggests, just dump all the ingredients in the pot along with the uncooked pasta.
- Add salt, pepper, crushed red peppers, and/or dry herbs.
- Drizzle some olive oil.
- Add about 1.5 cups of water. The pasta will cook in this water. So, use your discretion with the amount of water.
- Cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes or till the pasta is al-dente.
- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Sprinkle cheese and stir till the cheese melts into the pasta.
- Garnish with some fresh herbs.
- Serve hot.
This is one dish you can really play around with. You can switch up the veggies and the protein to add variety. So, may be you end up making the On Pot Pasta every week, but it is going to be different everytime as the ingredients keep changing. You don't have to play by the rules with this dish.
The One Pot Pasta is just incredibly delicious and will please everyone in the family, both kids and grown-ups.
It is super easy and convenient to make the One Pot Pasta. It requires very little time; just the time for chopping up the veggies. But no one will be able to tell from the taste how easy and quick this recipe is.
My husband keeps requesting for the One Pot Pasta and I keep going back to it because this is yummy and fills the tummy and easy on the mummy!
Try it, especially if you have a little one who keeps you busy. It is such a lifesaver.
