Somehow I missed this recipe sweeping the internet, until just now when I was looking for something quick to make with tomatoes from the garden. What a handy dish to have in your back pocket when you just have to eat immediately. And great dish for students to learn a one pot meal. Put everything in the pan, the water boils away and releases the starch in the pasta to help make a creamy sauce. Very fresh tasting with hot pepper flakes for kick.
I reheated it with some arugula wilted into it and that was fantastic with a few fresh mozzarella balls on top. I didn’t have enough cherry tomatoes on my plant for the whole dish so I added a handful at the beginning, then a couple large chopped tomatoes with just 5 min left to cook. Maybe those should have just been added at the end so they would be just warmed fresh chunks because they just melted into the sauce with the onion and garlic.
Note: my tomatoes were very wet so I should have reduced the water. It was too al dente anyway at 9 minutes so I continues to cook a couple more minutes so the liquid could absorb in the pasta and boil off a bit. Upon resting all the liquid was absorbed.
12 ounces linguine
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2 cups water
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Place in a flat bottom straight sided pan and boil until pasta is done, about 9 to 12 minutes.
This was written up on Food52 as part of the great Genius recipe series, but it came from Martha Stewart from an editor who learned it from a chef in Italy, how his mother makes a fast meal. http://food52.com/blog/10952-martha-stewart-s-one-pan-pasta
these “one pan” pasta meals are getting more popular, especially now that Barilla came out with their Pronto Pasta that is designed to be cooked this way.
One internet article about this dish had the best comments thread I have read in ages. One commenter in particular sounded as though she might have a stroke at any moment over the idea of pasta cooked this way.
I am just wondering what those cherry tomatoes would look like after boiling for 12 minutes. I think I would throw them in at the last minute. No way the ones in the pic had been boiling for 12 minutes - looks like the seeds are still in them,
It really does work. I’ve tried a few things and one that worked is stirring in a bit of creme fraiche or goat cheese right at the end, since these break down and get lost in any sauce if introduced too soon. And since heat varies by stove, add a bit of water if needed. This cooking is more a risotto style so if you need more liquid … Also, I’ve not done this but have read: don’t try with multigrain, whole wheat, quinoa, gluten free, etc. pasta, at least until you’ve done it as written a few times.
I am one of those people who does not like tomato chunks in my sauce. Prego traditional is the consistency I like. If I made this and let it boil longer would the chunks disappear? I am one of those picky eaters to whom texture is a big deal. I prefer smooth over chunky. Could I make this work for me? I always say that I eat like a child, however these days I see kids eating all kinds of healthy things that I won’t even try. Good for them!
Patsam: #8: we are TOTAL opposites!
I LOVE chunky anything! Chunky spaghetti sauces made from scratch, chunky apple sauces also made from scratch. Chunky Peanut Butter not made from scratch. It give my meal texture, flavor and something to chew down on!
I didn’t look that closely, but wondering if you can use chicken or veggie broth instead of water, or half water & half broth…I will definitely give this a try! Still getting used to my 3rd day as an empty nester…I LOVE it!!!
I’ve made a version of this a couple times and everyone liked it. Also, don’t miss the tomato sauce (onion and butter) recipe mentioned in the link. It’s really good.
Please read the directions, as I may have left something out. You have to toss the pasta from time to time so it doesn’t meld into one big mass. Also it makes 4 servings. Next time I will reduce water by 1/4 cup at least.
@Patsam if you make it with skinned tomato chunks maybe from a can if you don’t want to peel them, or just dip in boiling water 30 or 40 sec and they peel) it will dissolve, most of mine was chunk free, nothing like the pic and I only cooked them 6 or 7 minutes–I had one or two soft cherry tomatoes so don’t use those. The onion melts in too, I sliced very thinly. It isn’t a tomato sauce per se, it is more a loose creamy sauce with a fresh tomato flavor that the pasta soaks up, nothing like a marinara sauce.
@abasket yes I think perfect idea to add tomato in 2 stages with just a minutes for the 2nd batch if you have ripe garden ones like I did.
@chocchipcookie yes broth will work, it may not taste as fresh, but it may go good with other add-ins here is an article Food52 did with variations. http://linkis.com/Ln9s0
I would love to add zucchini to my pasta and salad, not instead. But we bought that gadget because of good reviews and it worked horribly. I relied on my housemate to do most of it but I think I tried to turn it myself, the ends would just break off in the cones. We didn’t try it again, but I guess I should I just remember it being a mess. If you are using it and it works for you I will try again.
With our current overload of zucchini and tomatoes from the garden, I add cut-up zucchinis (a lot of small chunks) to the pot with the boiling pasta when there’s about 7min left. I add tomatoes and pesto as soon as I’ve drained the pasta. The tomatoes warm up in the hot pasta, but are still very fresh. Like especially with small tortellinis that already have some cheese…
Haha, I somehow missed the recipe too (around since 2013?) and only noticed it last week also! I thought I was the only one!
There is a Slate article about how the recipe was found from a restaurant in Italy, and at the bottom of that article are some variations. I have made it twice and quite like it but my husband says he prefers the traditional method. So I will cook it when he is out of town and freeze for lunch meals at work.
The cherry tomatoes came out fine. I would have added more, and I would also suggest reducing water by 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
yes^^to those mods, and I missed it even though am a food52 member. The Slate article is a reprint of the food52 link I posted. I like the idea I can have a meal in 10 minutes if I am starving and tired of jarred spaghetti sauce which gets old.
For a fresh no-cook sauce marinate chopped tomatoes with a good amount of olive oil and chopped garlic. Cook pasta. Toss tomatoes with hot pasta, add torn fresh basil leaves and fresh mozzarella chunks. Freshly grated black pepper.
