One Pot Pasta

4.51 from 542 votes
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One of the best pasta recipes that takes 20 minutes to make in one pot. Throw all the ingredients in a pot or pan and dinner is ready for the entire family!

One of the best pasta recipes is one pot pasta.
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One Pot Pasta Recipe

Pasta is the easiest homemade weeknight dinner for the entire family.

Home cooks loves easy Italian pasta recipes because it’s quick, healthy and made with a few ingredients.

How do you cook pasta and sauce in one pot or one pan?

One pot pasta is a time saver because the pasta is cooked right in the sauce, in your pot or pan.

This recipe yields delicious pasta as the spaghetti noodles soak up all the goodness of the ingredients.

This easy pasta recipes is quick and ready in 20 minutes.

It’s also one of the best pasta dishes ever!


How To Make One Pot Pasta

Spaghetti cooked in one pot, with tomato sauce.

How do you actually cook pasta and sauce together in one cookware?

First, add the following recipe ingredients into a pot:

  • Onion, garlic and tomatoes
  • Chicken broth
  • Uncooked spaghetti
  • Salt

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.

Next, cover the pot and cook the spaghetti until al dente and serve immediately.

There is only one pot or pan to clean up after the meal, making this one of easiest homemade pasta recipes ever!


Which Pasta Is Best For One Pot Pasta

One pot easy Italian pasta recipe with tomatoes, onions and garlic.

You should use spaghetti as they will get cooked evenly.

Angel hair will work well too but you might want to cut down the cooking time by 1 – 2 minutes.

Thicker pasta like fettucine is not a great choice because they are thicker and harder to cook through.


Pot Or Pan

One-pan pasta topped with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley is one of the easiest pasta recipes ever!

For the cookware, you can use a pot, for example: a Dutch oven, or a wide soup pot.

I like to use my skillet for pan pasta. For the best results, make sure your cookware is wide enough for the spaghetti noodles.

If not, break the spaghetti into halves so they are covered by the sauce while cooking.

If the pot or pan is too narrow, the pasta will not get cooked properly.


Cooking Tips

This is one of the best homemade Italian pasta recipes.

For the best result, please follow the cooking tips below:

  • You can use a pot, pan or skillet for this recipe. I recommend a non-stick pot, pan or skillet to avoid the dry spaghetti from sticking to the bottom of the cookware.
  • If you use a stainless steel cookware, remember to use the spatula to flip up the spaghetti so they don’t stick to the bottom.
  • Add more chicken broth if the sauce dries up and the spaghetti is not fully cooked.
  • For tomatoes, I recommend Campari tomatoes as they are juicier, sweeter and less acidic, making the Campari’s a top choice for this recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze leftover pasta?

Trust me, there will be no leftovers.
However, in case you do, you can freeze the leftover spaghetti pasta in the refrigerator.
You may keep the leftovers in a plastic container, plastic bag, or a pasta bowl covered with shrink wrap.
To eat, reheat the leftover spaghetti in the microwave for 1 minute before serving.

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 223 calories per serving.

Healthy one pot pasta served made in a stainless steel pan.

What To Serve With One Pot Pasta

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for new updates.


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4.51 from 542 votes

One Pot Pasta (The Best Recipe!)

One of the best pasta recipes that takes 20 minutes to make in one pan. Throw all the ingredients in a pot or pan and dinner is ready for the entire family!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 14 oz. fresh tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon chopped Italian basil
  • 8 oz. spaghetti
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

Instructions 

  • Heat oil in a wide skillet, pan or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, saute 3 minutes or until they start to brown. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian basil and spaghetti.
    Ingredients for one-pan pasta: tomatoes, garlic and onion
  • Press the spaghetti with a spatula to submerge the pasta in the liquid. If your skillet, pan or pot is not wide enough, break the spaghetti into halves before cooking. Cover with the lid and reduce heat to medium-low.
    Spaghetti, tomatoes, chicken broth and herb in a pot for one pot pasta.
  • Cook for 8 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. If the pasta is not cooked after 8 minutes, add a little bit more chicken broth, cover the lid and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Uncover the lid and add salt. Turn off the heat and top the pasta with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Watch the cooking video on this page for step-by-step guide.
You may add shrimp and spinach to the pasta, if you like.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 223kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 690mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Rasa Malaysia

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





186 Comments

  1. Elle Chopp says:

    Delicious pasta. I used diced canned heirloom tomatoes including the juice plus one can of water. I had some tomato juice so I added about 1/2 cup. I used enough spaghetti for two servings. I added some IKEA chicken meatballs and chopped frozen asparagus during the last 10 minutes. It was very good. Love the one pot cooking.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Elle, your version of one pan pasta sounds delicious, I love it.

  2. Nancy says:

    How much and what type of shrimp please?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      You can use shelled and deveined shrimp, 6-8 oz.

  3. Joy Powell says:

    Just wondering if youโ€™ve ever substituted veggie broth for chicken broth ? If so, was it just as good?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      No, but it should be fine!

  4. Yumcha Mama says:

    5 stars
    Very tasty indeed and a hit in our household. Thank you! I added wine like others suggested here too. Gives it that kick. Love your site!

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Yumcha mama, thanks so much for trying this one-pan pasta recipe.

  5. Village Bakery says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe, Bee. Made it last night and it came out great :D -Joe

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Awww thanks so much!

  6. Raven says:

    5 stars
    If I add shrimp to the recipe do I put in at the same time as all the other ingredients? This looks fabulous and I cant wait to try it out!

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      You can add towards the end as the shrimp cooks faster and you don’t want to overcook the shrimp. I would add towards the last two minutes.

  7. Jane says:

    Hi – This recipe looks amazing!! If I double the recipe, can I add a 28oz can of chopped tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes? And would I have to use less chicken stock?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Jane, if you double the recipe, you will need to double all ingredients, or cook it in two portions.

  8. Dianna says:

    Hello I just finished making one pot pasta. Love,love,love the recipe I used caned petite hunts chopped tomatoes 14.5 punch do not drain. I also added sauteed mushrooms to the onions and garlic. It was amazing, wonderful taste like something u get in an expensive Italian restaurant. Will definitely make again and again. Thanks so much for the recipe.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Yes, I agree. Thanks for trying my one pan pasta recipe, Dianna. :)

  9. Crissy says:

    5 stars
    This was so delicious! There’s nothing better than pasta, especially with tomatoes and basil! Mine took about 18 minutes to absorb the liquid, absolutely yummy recipe!

  10. Kate says:

    5 stars
    I made this last night and think it’s a perfect recipe to use as a base for all sorts of options! I doubled the recipe (used tinned crushed tomatoes), added red lentils, white wine, a dollop of pesto and sriracha at the beginning, grated zucchini and carrot towards the end, and baby spinach at the end. My husband and I both loved it and the spaghetti cooked perfectly. I’ll be creating and cooking variations of this going forward and have already shared this with my daughters. Thank you!

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Kate, yes you can make a variety of pasta from this one-pan pasta recipe. :)