Quick n' Easy One Pot Pasta
Here is an Amazing and Delightful Pasta dish that can be made in about 20 mins from Prep to Dish. I wish I could claim this dish as my own but whoever came up with it was a GENIUS!
Here is an Amazing and Delightful Pasta dish that can be made in about 20 mins from Prep to Dish. I wish I could claim this dish as my own but whoever came up with it was a GENIUS!
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 12 ounces pasta (i used linguine)
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid ( i used ze
- 1 large sweet onion cut in julienne strips
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 2 large sprigs basil chopped
- 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and not low sodium)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil parmesan cheese for garnish
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (43g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, 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 2 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.
The Boil and the Starch
Stirring every two minutes prevents strands of linguine from matting together in the concentrated cooking liquid. Releasing surface starch directly into the broth creates a natural emulsion that thickens without the addition of heavy cream or flour. Maintaining a rolling simmer rather than a violent boil keeps the liquid level from evaporating too quickly before the interior of the pasta hydrates.
Tomatoes and Acid Control
Canned diced tomatoes contribute both moisture and malic acid, which interacts with the starch molecules to alter the bite of the noodles. Regular vegetable broth contains roughly 800 milligrams of sodium per cup, meaning tasting the reduction before adding extra salt prevents over-seasoning. Thinly slicing garlic cloves instead of mincing them prevents scorching during the ten-minute simmer phase.
Historical Roots of Pot Cooking
Italian home cooks historically relied on absorption cooking methods to stretch limited water supplies and fuel sources in communal kitchens. Modern adaptations use precise liquid-to-starch ratios, typically measuring four and one-half cups of broth to twelve ounces of dry pasta, achieving an al dente finish within twenty minutes total cooking time.
