

I’m totally a sucker for one-pot meals. I mean, fewer dishes? Less fuss and muss (whatever “muss” is)? I’m in. So when I saw one-pot pasta floating around Pinterest awhile back, I was intrigued. I made Martha Stewart’s version pretty much immediately, and I loved it. And, because I’m a food blogger and this is what I do, I tweaked and fiddled. This One-Pot Pasta Primavera is one of my favorite outcomes so far.

I love the concept of one-pot pasta. Essentially, you put all the ingredients into the pot, including the uncooked pasta and water (or broth). And then you cook, tossing constantly, for several minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked off and the pasta and accompanying veggies are tender, perfect, and saucy.



This One-Pot Pasta Primavera is perfect for spring. With tender asparagus tips, broccoli florets, and a smattering of peas, it’s got lots of green to go around. Onions, mushrooms, garlic, and parsley add a little more oomph and flavor. True to classic Pasta Primavera form, we make it a tad creamy by ending with a bit of cream (just a splash!) and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.



A few tips for one-pot pasta success:

Use a heavy, roomy pot. There will be lots of stirring and tossing.

If you have them, use long-handled tongs. Short handles keep you a little too close to the heat. Ouch!

Select a dried pasta that has a cooking time of between 9-11 minutes. Otherwise, you may end up with under-cooked pasta, or worse, mushy mush.

Once it starts boiling, be sure to toss and stir constantly! Otherwise the pasta will start sticking, and clean-up might make you sad.

This post was originally published on March 17, 2014.