One-pan pasta for one. YES.
When I first decided I want to make Cooking for One a series, I started making a list of recipe ideas. Before I knew it, I had like 7 different pastas. What can I say? I love a small portion of pasta.
Jk jk jk. I love a very large portion of pasta always, but it’s generally best for me to NOT do that. I’m not saying carbs are bad, I’m just saying I could probably eat a giant pot of pasta by myself in roughly 3 minutes and that’s maybe a little bit bad.
I’m sure you’ve all seen / maybe even tried the “famous” one-pan pasta technique made famous (I think?) by Martha Stewart. I first tried it years ago, and while I appreciated the convenience, the taste didn’t blow me away.
And let’s be honest, if you’re making a bunch of pasta anyway it’s not that hard to just boil a pot of pasta, right?
BUT! If you just need one serving? The one-pan technique is perrrrrfect.
For this one, I stay pretty close to Martha’s version ingredient-wise, but I like to do a little more than just throw it all in a pan and let it boil. You need to develop some flavor before the pasta even hits the pan, but I promise it’s easy. And you’re still using just water, so need to open a box of stock for just a cup or two!
This is a great recipe to keep in your back pocket for when it’s just you and you need something quick, but comforting. Or if you are just craving a little bit of pasta. Or need something vegetarian (vegan if you exclude the cheese!). Or just really love one-pan meals.
So many reasons to make this!
Cooking for one: One-pan pasta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Red pepper flakes
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 oz pasta (I like spaghetti or linguine for this, but use whatever you like!)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan + more for topping
- Basil (as much as you want)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add shallot and saute for 4-5 minutes until softened and just starting to turn light brown. Add garlic and saute for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes, salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes (if using) and cook until tomatoes get soft and start to break down. Use the back of your spoon to smash a few and release some liquid.
- Add pasta (break in half to fit in pan if you need to) and 1 cup of water. Make sure pasta is submerged, adding more water if you need to. Bring to a boil and then cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep tasting to ensure pasta is cooking correctly, adding more water as needed. Turn off heat when it’s to your liking and stir in parmesan.
- Serve with torn basil and additional parmesan, if desired.
