The Easiest One Pot Pasta You'll Ever Make
Try this The Easiest One Pot Pasta You'll Ever Make recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this The Easiest One Pot Pasta You'll Ever Make recipe, or contribute your own.
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 1/2 cups water
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces linguine broken in half
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1 cup coarsely chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 3-4 large garlic cloves pressed
- 2 tablespoons oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes (or regular
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 8 ounces brie cheese rind removed and torn into pieces
- grated parmesan for serving
- good quality olive oil for serving
- Carbohydrate 0.4940565604 g
- Cholesterol 56.6990462 mg
- Fat 15.75293964216 g
- Fiber 0.133224762288815 g
- Protein 11.970300364 g
- Saturated Fat 9.87767643727 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (417g)
- Sodium 1274.52395184705 mg
- Sugar 0.360831798111185 g
- Trans Fat 0.821969582822003 g
- Calories 191 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the first five ingredients in a pot or 3-quart straight-sided skillet. Next, add the water, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, and a generous amount of black pepper - I like use about six "turns" of the pepper grinder.
- Bring your pot to a full rolling boil over high heat. Using tongs, stir and turn the pasta frequently to prevent sticking. Cook until al dente, approximately 9 to 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. (If there is still a little bit of cooking water pour some, but not all, into a separate bowl.)
- Add the brie and toss with tongs until creamy and melted. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- The sauce will naturally thicken up after a couple of minutes and will become even thicker if you save leftovers or if you don't serve immediately.
- Serve with grated Parmesan and additional basil, if desired.
Does the starch in the cooking water really replace a traditional roux or heavy cream when building a smooth sauce? Standard boiling methods often wash away the valuable amylose released by drying wheat, but cooking pasta in a restricted volume of liquid retains those starches directly in the pan. As the linguine boils, the surrounding water transforms into a starchy emulsion that readily binds with added fats rather than remaining watery.
Achieving the correct consistency relies entirely on maintaining a vigorous, rolling boil for the full nine to ten minutes of cooking time. Stirring frequently with tongs prevents the strands from matting together on the bottom of a straight-sided skillet while simultaneously encouraging even hydration. Removing the vessel from the heat precisely at the al dente stage stops further softening and preserves structural integrity.
Incorporating soft cheeses like brie requires tearing the rind away completely so the pasteurized interior melts uniformly into the hot starches without creating stubborn lumps. Using oil harvested directly from sun-dried tomato jars introduces concentrated umami compounds that pair well with pressed garlic and fresh basil leaves. Finishing the dish with grated Parmesan provides a secondary layer of savory depth and balancing saltiness.
This minimalist approach shares technical roots with traditional Italian risotto-making methods, where continuous agitation and gradual liquid absorption build body without excessive dairy. Leftovers thicken considerably upon cooling as the starches continue to retrograde, meaning gentle reheating with a splash of water restores the original glossy texture.
