One Pot Wonder

I had seen this recipe circulating around pinterest and Facebook, and I mean.. it's pasta. Need I say more? When has the promise of "creamy, delicious, easy pasta" ever been less than desirable. So I made it. 

And it was crazy good. Like, going to eat the whole pot good. Like, "why don't we eat pasta for dinner every night" good. Like, fresh made on the Amalfi Coast of Italy by a brawny Italian man who studied for years under the tutelage of his grandmother-good.

So, in a nutshell, I liked it. 

I made a few modifications with the recipe, but basically, you are layering uncooked noodles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and basil in a dutch oven or big ol' pot. Then pouring 2-3 cups of vegetable or chicken broth into the pot, putting the top on and stirring every few minutes. In about 20 minutes (or more like 15 for me) you have a pot of wonderful pasta, and only one dish to clean. (1 dish total, because you will probably just eat the pasta directly from the pot like I did. That's normal, right?)

Basically, broth is cooking the pasta, and then the residual liquid is blending with the tomatoes and spices to become the sauce. SCIENCE, amirite?

Here the recipe: One Pot Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce //And here are my substitutions, or "upgrades" as I like to call them. 

1. I used quinoa pasta because...it's better. And I also used a 16oz bag instead of the 12oz the recipe calls for. It was a happy accident because it made more pasta.

2. I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned. 

3. I added a small can of tomato sauce. I had it in the pantry and I like my pasta really saucy. I would highly advise adding this.

4. Because I had more pasta, I used more broth. Duh.

5. This one is PURELY taste. I added a tbsp of butter at the end. I always make my red sauce with a little butter because...it's delicious. I tasted the pasta before the butter, and it was awesome, so no worries--it's still good without it. I just prefer mine with a little butter. 

Enjoy! And I promise those Antwerp/Amsterdam posts are coming! I just need a few days to breathe! xx