This garlicky, saucy pasta filled with basil and tomatoes is made from start to finish in about 20 minutes; does dinner get much better than that?
Everything is combined in the pot along with the cooking water and it reduces down into a perfect one dish meal as it cooks. It sounds almost too good to be true, right?
I’ve seen versions of this recipe floating around online all summer and I finally had to try it. With rave reviews from everyone who has tried it, I still doubted that the dish would live up to the hype. I was wrong.
This pasta is unbelievably rich and creamy and saucy, without any cream or actual “sauce” in the recipe. The recipe just begs to be played with; there are countless variations already running through my mind.
20 Minute One Pot Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti linguini or fettuccine *
- 1 large onion very thinly sliced, about 2 cups
- 4 - 6 garlic cloves very thinly sliced
- 12 ounces or 3 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 10 basil leaves torn in half
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 4 1/2 cups water
- Topping: Freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese several basil leaves thinly sliced
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a straight sided large skillet or pot. Bring to a high boil and then reduce heat just enough to keep it boiling without splattering you as you stir and toss it constantly with tongs for about 8-10 minutes. The water and tomatoes will reduce down and the pasta will release starches that thicken it and make it creamy.
- Do not wait for all of the liquid to evaporate. Taste the pasta as it finishes cooking. When it has softened to your liking remove from the heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Scoop into serving bowls and top with fresh cheese and additional basil. Enjoy!
- * I used gluten free, brown rice fettuccine noodles and they worked just as well as traditional pasta.
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Lara Chenaux says
We made this tonight & it was DELICIOUS! Thanks much for this recipe! We embellished it a small bit by sautéing half of the onions & garlic in a bit of olive oil until lightly cartelized, added the hot pepper flakes (we used Calabrian), a tsp of anchovy paste & a Tbsp of tomato paste & cooked a few minutes. We the proceeded with the recipe (all measurement were the same in the end). It was wonderful.
Nancy says
What does this recipe look like after it has cooked down?? Thank you