One Pot Wonder

Another snow day here in New York means another craving for some comfort food. For me- that is pasta! I stumbled upon a Martha Stewart one-pot spaghetti recipe a few months ago and was sold. I have made some modifications from the original recipe, but the idea is the same- throw EVERYTHING into one pot and in under 20 minutes you have a hearty meal to put on the table!

One Pot Wonder

• 12 oz. spaghetti or linguini (I like the spaghetti with ridges on it- helps the sauce stick)
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half (or quarters if they are large)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 can black or kalamata olives, halved (totally optional, this is one of my additions)
• 1 small onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 golf-ball size shallot, sliced thinly (adds a nice sweetness)
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced (I love garlic- so I normally throw in four cloves)
• Fresh parsley, chopped (feel free to use dried parsley, or fresh/dry basil)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1-2 teaspoons capers (I love this addition- gives another dimension of saltiness)
• Salt & Pepper (no real measurement- do what feels right)
• 4 1/2 cups room temperature water/broth (I use chicken or veggie broth for a richer flavor)
• Parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Put uncooked pasta (trust me- I was afraid the first time too), tomatoes (fresh and canned), onion, shallot, garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, capers and water/broth in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat- stirring to incorporate pasta into the liquid.
2. Reduce to medium/medium-high and simmer- stirring frequently- for 9-12 minutes. You will know it is ready when the pasta is al dente (still has a bite to it) and the liquid has thickened into a really nice sauce that sticks to the pasta. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in olives and any other seasoning (now is the time to see if it needs more salt/pepper- but remember if you are serving with Parmesan, go easy on the sal) and another hit of fresh parsley.
4. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese over the top.

That's it- you can literally have this on the table start to finish in less than 30 minutes. It's a great way to put a fresh meal on the table after a long day.

- Not hearty enough for you? Serve with sliced grilled chicken or a nice piece of flounder.
- You can all the olives in the beginning- I like them to keep their firmness, so I choose to add at the end
- You can skip the canned tomatoes all together. The first time I made it I only used the fresh, and I found it was missing some flavor. You can also swap out some of the water/broth for tomato sauce or just squeeze in some tomato paste for extra flavor.
- Remember a few posts ago when I said that fresh chicken stock will be a life saver? This is just another example of how to use it to waste less and make an even healthier meal!

Did you try it? Make your own modifications? Share in the comments!