Oh, the magic that can happen when you cook a spaghetti dinner!
Somehow Friday became “noodle night” in my own head! The aroma of simmering sauce combined with the relaxation of a work week coming to an end just seems appropriate for a family meal.
These days, where people are living on a dime, scraping by to feed their loved ones after working hard and dragging home, exhausted, even a simple pasta meal can feel daunting. So why not toss the whole meal into ONE POT and allowing your cook top to do all the heavy lifting?
How about this: If you put all the ingredients into a big pot and let them hang out and blend as they simmer, the starch from the pasta can leach out and create a luscious sauce. Here’s how to do it:
ALL IN ONE POT PASTA MEAL
Ingredients:
12 ounces pasta *Whatever lives in your pantry will do.
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid *Here is a chance to use fresh tomatoes if you have these beauties-red or yellow or even those littler babies will add tremendous flavor!
1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Method:
Place uncooked pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.
Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired .
Season to taste with salt and pepper , stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese. Pair this dish with a great big green salad and a simple dessert and you have made something wonderful! Best of all, it was really easy, with very little clean up!
SIDEBAR: When it comes to oregano and basil, don’t get hung up on whether to use fresh or dry. Use what you have. If you grow herbs, super; if not, Mother Earth will continue to rotate on her axis and the Food Police will never know or care. END SIDEBAR.
Pasta has always been “poor man’s food” but with this dish you can feel as if you are living a little higher on the hog! It is DEEElish! Any time you can make a thrifty, filling, satisfying meal you can feel good about yourself. And you deserve to feel good about yourself!
We omit the details about how tickled we are to welcome new members and how we are here to serve and all that other stuff so we can take some friends to a medical appointment. We can chat more amongst ourselves when Monday rolls around. Make it a wonderful weekend with people you love, everybody. And please remember that YOU are loved and appreciated!
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