It’s so easy to make this one pot pasta meal – deliciously creamy and comforting, it’s ready to dig into in just about 30 min.
Loaded with high quality protein and vegetables, it’s a great one-dish meal…. Make it on a busy weeknight, or maybe when you just want to curl up on the sofa with a warm bowl of pasta…. Since you can make it in just ONE pan, you also have less to clean up afterwards!
Cooking Pasta the traditional way….
I don’t really like cooking pasta the traditional way… Having to wait for that big pot of water to start boiling, so I can finally start cooking my pasta… tries my patience! Then, after the pasta is cooked and ready, I have to pick up the heavy pot and pour the boiling hot contents into a colander to drain…. Definitely not my idea of fun, that’s for sure! It’s also a bit hazardous, especially if you have little kids or even pets hovering nearby!
Why do we do all this “draining” of the cooking water anyway? Well, while cooking pasta in boiling water, some starch is released into the cooking water… Unless you remove this starchy water by draining it away, the pasta will likely be sticky and taste rather pasty. That doesn’t sound very appealing, does it?
Alternate ways to cook Pasta
While I do understand why pasta is traditionally cooked the way it is, I still don’t like it! So, for a long time now, I’ve been playing with alternate ways to cook pasta… The best way, at least for me, would be a reliable “no-boil, no-drain”… essentially a “no-fuss” method.
For the recipe I’ve shared here, I found a way that works quite well. I cook the pasta, in a measured amount of milk, in the microwave! And how do I keep it from becoming sticky and pasty? I slightly under-cook the pasta first….till it’s barely al dente… it only takes 3-4 min. Then I pile the veggies on top, splash with a little water, cover and microwave it again to finish cooking my dish… That’s another 5-6 min or so.
That’s it… My One Pot Pasta Meal is ready!
NO waiting for the water to boil…. How about heavy lifting? NOPE! And maybe best of all…. NO danger of being scalded with accidentally spilled boiling water! So… What’s not to love about this method?
Why Cook the Pasta with Milk?
Why cook the pasta with milk, rather than water? Several reasons, actually…
The starch released by the pasta as it cooks thickens the milk in which it cooks…. Pretty neat, since this is essentially a creamy “white sauce“! This white sauce coats the pasta, making it creamy and luscious, rather than sticky and pasty. How magical is that?!
But wait… If you’re making the white sauce in the same pot that you’re cooking the pasta in… doesn’t it also mean that your one pot meal is already half-ready?! Yayy! Now you don’t need to make a white sauce separately, it’s already done!
Do you really need another compelling reason to cook the pasta in milk? I don’t!
How much milk for the one pot pasta meal?
I experimented a bit to figure out how much milk the pasta absorbed while cooking till al dente. I found that it absorbed about 3/4 its volume of milk…. i.e., for 1 cup of pasta, that’s about 3/4 cup of milk.
So then, how much extra would I need for making the creamy sauce I wanted? After a few trials, I found that I needed to use about 1/4 cup of cold milk to accomplish this. There was a key detail, though… to not add this last bit of milk until I had already cooked the pasta in the 3/4 cup of milk first.
Why might this actually matter? When I tried adding all the milk (i.e., 1 cup) right at the beginning, the pasta seemed to absorb too much liquid and became a bit gooey and pasty… and didn’t really form much sauce at all! Not good, obviously!
So how/why would adding cold milk later in the process not do that? Not really sure, but here’s my guess….I think the cold milk quickly cools down the pasta, presumably stopping it from rapidly absorbing the added extra milk and overcooking it to a mushy texture. Instead, the cold milk just mixes with the hot surface starch coating the partially cooked pasta and quickly makes a creamy sauce! How’s that for even more magic?!
So then… To make my one pot pasta meal, how much total milk would I need? For 1 cup of pasta, I’d need a total of about 1 cup of milk… That’s pretty easy to remember, isn’t it?
What veggies to add to my pasta meal?
What veggies to use in this dish? Certainly, I wanted to keep the prep simple and “fast-fix”… But I also wanted it to look great and be nutritionally balanced as a full-meal.
I used frozen green beans and chopped spinach (of course it’s OK to use fresh – it will just take a bit longer to prep), fresh shredded pumpkin and freshly cooked tomatoes. Their vibrant colors and textures worked really well together and these vegetables, along with the pasta, also delivered a rich array of nutrients to the one pot meal.
That said, you can certainly swap these out and use whatever other vegetables you like or have on hand. Change it up as you like! Have fun putting your own stamp on this easy-fix meal… Let me know what you do, maybe I’d like to try your ideas as well!
Add Cottage Cheese – and amp up the protein!
The veggies and the milk-cooked pasta are still somewhat low on the protein front… That’s an easy fix, actually. I just add some cottage cheese to the seasoned spinach…. and top the pasta with some shredded Parmesan.
Interesting to see how much these simple “add-in” ingredients amp up the protein content of this dish! One serving delivers about 19 g of high quality protein… Not bad at all!
And Yesss… the cottage cheese and Parmesan definitely amp up something else as well… the Yumm factor!
Interesting Pasta/Noodle Recipes
Are you always looking for new, different pasta/noodle recipes to try? Well, perhaps you’d like to try some of the ones that I’ve shared on my blog. All are my own creations, designed with the goal of combining “good for you food” with “food that tastes so good, you can’t stop eating it”… Check them out!
- Flavorful and Colorful Spinach Pasta Meal – Green spaghetti with an unusual combination of veggies
- Pasta with Spinach and Edamame – the Edamame adds an extra heft of protein
- Lentil Vegetable Soup – a spicy Moroccan-style soup, with Lentils, Pasta and vegetables
- Noodles with Bok Choy – a quick and simple Oriental-style meal with thin Chinese noodles
- Creamy Noodles with Cabbage – in spicy coconut milk sauce, inspired by Thai cuisine
- Pasta/Pizza Sauce from fresh tomatoes – so fast, easy and tasty
As you can probably tell from the names/titles, some are Italian-style, some have an Asian/Oriental flair, and I even have a Moroccan-style soup that has pasta in it! And yes, I do have an easy pasta sauce recipe too. You can whip up a small batch of this sauce in 15-20 min with the fresh and plump red tomatoes sitting in your vegetable bin.
If you make any of these, …. plan to make …. or maybe even have some thoughts about what I’ve written up…. Please do leave a review and star rating – I really appreciate your help in this. Thanks!
Btw… Also planning to post some more pasta/noodle recipes, including some that are Indian-style… Be on the lookout, folks!
Special Diets
This recipe is vegetarian, soy-free and nut-free, and is a “No onion-No garlic” recipe (garlic is optional). As written, it is not gluten-free, though, since I have used regular pasta, which is made with wheat. Although I have not yet tried making it with gluten-free pasta, I feel fairly sure it should work well, perhaps with some minor tweaks. If anyone does try a gluten-free version, please do let me know how it turns out.
Since I also use dairy ingredients (milk, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese), it is not vegan friendly either. However, you can fairly easily adapt it to be vegan. Please check Recipe Notes: I have given lots of suggestions and details regarding vegan alternatives you might use.
So… the next time you’re craving pasta, but don’t really want all the hassle, make this delightfully satisfying one pot pasta meal… Easy to make, and not much dish-washing to do later! Win-Win-Win, on all counts!
Please do leave a review and star rating….. much appreciated!
Enjoy!
One Pot Pasta Meal – Easy to Make with Veggies
Equipment
- microwave oven If not using a microwave, see Recipe Notes for stove-top directions using a steamer set-up.
- 8-9-inch (20-24 cm) round glass/ceramic microwave safe cake pan 8-9-inch (20-24 cm) square pan, microwave safe, is OK too.
Ingredients
For Pasta
- 1 cup Mini Farfalle Pasta ( Bow-tie) – 3 oz if not available, OK to use other small pasta – shells, macaroni, etc.
- 1 cup Milk – divided- 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup whole milk preferred – any other milk of your choice OK too
- 1/4 tsp Salt adjust as preferred
For toppings
- 1 cup Petite whole green beans – about 3-4 inches (8-10cm) long frozen, thawed OK; If not available, use frozen sliced green beans -1-2 inch (3-5 cm) long pieces, or frozen French-cut style (thaw before using). Of course, fresh beans are OK, but will need more prep
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin – shredded if not available, other yellow/orange flesh squash OK too – Kabocha, butternut, etc.
- 3 cups Spinach – fresh, chopped – yields about 1/2 cup cooked To save time, use 1 cup frozen chopped spinach – it yields 1/2 cup after thawing
- 1/2 cup Tomatoes – chopped and cooked about 1 medium Roma tomato; if fresh tomatoes not available, OK to use canned – see Recipe Notes for details
- 1/2 cup Cottage Cheese – whole milk preferred small curd preferred; sub with low-fat if you like; for vegan recipe, use coarsely crumbled medium firm tofu, or your preferred vegan ricotta – see Recipe Notes for details
- 1/8 tsp Salt: divided into 2 equal portions of 1/16 tsp each adjust as preferred
- 1/8 tsp Black pepper – Freshly crushed preferred
- 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper adjust as preferred
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Dried basil leaves If using fresh basil – you will need 3-4 tbsp chopped
- 1/2 tsp Garlic – chopped finely (optional) – 1-2 cloves fresh garlic preferred- if not available – 1/8 tsp garlic powder OK
- 2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese – shredded for vegan recipe – use any vegan cheese you like
On the side….
- 2 tbsp Parmesan – shredded or grated optional
- 1 tsp Crushed red pepper optional
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables: You can also do some of this prep work while you're cooking the Pasta
- Green beans: If using frozen beans: Spread frozen green beans on a tray and set aside on the counter for 8-10 min. you will need 15-20 pieces of petite whole beans or 1/2 cup of frozen French-cut green beans. If using fresh beans: Rinse thoroughly in a colander, towel-dry and trim ends. For green beans that are not petite, slice the trimmed beans – either on a diagonal (French cut), or into 1 1/2 inch (3-4 cm) long pieces. You don't need to slice petite green beans – you can use them "whole".
- Place the prepared fresh beans in a microwave-safe glass/ceramic bowl. Splash with water (about 2 tbsp), cover and microwave on Hi for 1 min. Set aside, covered, until ready to top the pasta.
- Blanched green beans
- Pumpkin (or any yellow/orange-fleshed squash):Wash and shred the pumpkin.
- Spinach:If using frozen chopped spinach: Place 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach in a glass/ceramic microwave safe bowl; cover and microwave on Hi for 30 seconds. Chop any stems/leaves that look stringy. Set aside for mixing with cottage cheese later.
- If using fresh baby spinach:Rinse (thoroughly, to remove all gritty residue) and towel-dry about 3 cups of fresh spinach. Slice first into thin ribbons, then cut across the ribbons to chop.
- Place in a glass/ceramic microwave safe bowl; cover and microwave on Hi for 1 minute. Set aside cooked spinach for mixing with cottage cheese later.
- Tomatoes:Dice a medium-large Roma tomato (other ripe, red tomatoes OK too): need about 1/2 cup.
- Place in a glass/ceramic microwave safe bowl; sprinkle with a 1/16 tsp portion of salt (1/16 tsp), cover and microwave on Hi for 2 minutes – till squishy soft. Set aside to cool a little.
- Mashed the cooled tomatoes when still slightly warm: I like to do this with my hands, but sure, you can use a fork if you like.
Cook the One Pot Pasta Meal
- Place 1 cup mini-Farfalle (bow-tie pasta) in a shallow glass/ceramic cake pan. Pour in 1/2 cup of cold milk, add 1/4 tsp salt and stir to mix. Cover and microwave on Hi for 1 min. Remove from microwave, stir gently, cover and cook for 2 min on 50-60% power. Remove from microwave – all the milk will have been absorbed, and the surface will look dry. Pour another 1/4 cup cold milk all over and with a spatula, gently flip the pasta over. Try to carefully separate the "stuck together" pasta pieces – coating the pasta with cold milk makes it much easier to do this. It's OK if some pieces remain stuck, or if a few pieces break slightly. Cover and microwave again – on Hi for 2 min.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the spinach-cottage cheese mixture: To the cooked spinach, add 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, 1/4 tsp black pepper and the remaining 1/16 tsp portion of salt. If you're using garlic, add it into this mixture as well.
- Mix gently with your hands to evenly distribute seasonings. Taste-test the mixture and add a little more salt, if you like.
- Remove the pasta from the microwave – again, all the milk will have been absorbed. Pour another 1/4 cup cold milk all over and with a spatula, gently flip the pasta over.
- Start adding the prepared veggies on top of the pasta., starting with the green beans.
- Now spread the shredded pumpkin evenly: pay particular attention to the edges.
- Then spread the seasoned spinach-cottage cheese mixture: again, pay particular attention to the edges.
- Using your fingers, evenly distribute the mashed tomatoes in little clumps.
- Distribute the shredded Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
- Splash a little water on top – about 2 tbsp or so, cover and microwave on Hi for 5-7 min, until the mixture is heated through, and the Parmesan cheese has completely melted.Allow to stand, undisturbed, for another 5-7 min.
- Serve hot, accompanied by fresh bread and maybe a simple salad.Also put out some extras….. crushed red pepper, grated Parmesan, pickled Jalapenos, or other hot sauce you like, maybe.Dig in, and….. ENJOY!
Notes
How to make this dish Vegan?
Here are some of my suggestions for swapping out the dairy ingredients from this recipe. Please note that making these swaps will alter the nutritional composition of this meal.- To cook the pasta: Instead of dairy milk, use one of the following unsweetened options:
- Soy milk : Use 1:1 swap
- Cashew Milk : Use 1:1 swap
- Almond Milk: Use 1:1 swap
- Hemp Milk: Use 1:1 swap
- Oat milk + Coconut milk: Use a 2:1 ratio to get good flavor; i.e., 2/3 cup oat milk + 1/3 cup coconut milk to replace 1 cup dairy milk
- To replace the cottage cheese: Use one of the following options, based on what you like best
- 1/2 cup crumbled tofu, mixed with 1/16 tsp salt and 1 tbsp coconut milk
- 1/2 cup vegan ricotta cheese – use your favorite kind
- To replace Parmesan cheese
- Try using your favorite Parmesan substitute
Microwave not available?
No worries, you can make this dish on the stove-top too… although it will certainly take longer. I would highly recommend using a steamer set-up to do most of the work – this way, there will be no danger of burning your meal! If you don’t have a steamer, or your steamer is a bit too small to hold an 8-9 inch pan, I have some workable suggestions for you…. Read on! ÂSteamer not available?
If you don’t have a steamer, no worries, it is pretty easy to create/assemble a steamer from common kitchen equipment. Here are some suggestions:- Use a trivet in a Pressure cooker / Instant Pot / Stockpot with well-fitting lid
- Add 1 1/2 – 2 cups water to the pot.
- Place a stainless steel trivet inside the pot: the water should barely cover the trivet.
- the trivet is meant to elevate the steamer plate above the water used to generate the steam.
- a wide-band stainless steel ring (1-2 inches high) can also be used as a trivet to support the steamer plate above the water in the pot – see picture below
- Check the size of your steaming plate: place the empty steaming plate on the trivet to make sure it fits comfortably, and without wobbling.
- If it is too tight, it will be difficult to remove the plate from the steamer (after steaming is done)
- If it is too tight, use a slightly smaller plate for steaming.
- Try to lift it out with tongs, as a trial run- to make sure you can do so after steaming.
- If it is too tight, it will be difficult to remove the plate from the steamer (after steaming is done)
- Cover the pot with the lid (for pressure cooker/Instant Pot, keep the pressure vent/valve open) and begin heating
- i.e., “zero-pressure” cooking.
- When the water starts boiling, the steamer is ready for steaming your ingredients.
How to adapt this recipe for cooking in the Steamer?
Cook the pasta al dente:- In a small, heavy bottom non-stick pot/pan, heat 1/2 cup of milk to boiling, on low heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and burning on the bottom. Turn the heat off and stir in 1/4 tsp salt.
- Immediately add 1 cup of pasta, bring the mixture back to a boil, then turn the heat off.
- Cover and set aside for 5-6 min to hydrate, then transfer the pasta, along with any liquid not yet absorbed, to the container in which you will assemble, and later, finish cooking your pasta meal.
- I recommend using an 7-8 inch stainless steel or oven-safe, tempered glass/ceramic cake pan – do NOT use an aluminum pan!
- Spread out the pasta evenly on the bottom of the pan.
- Cover and set aside for 5-6 min to hydrate, then transfer the pasta, along with any liquid not yet absorbed, to the container in which you will assemble, and later, finish cooking your pasta meal.
- Place the container in the prepared steamer (steaming hot), cover and steam the pasta for 5-6 min.
- Carefully remove the pan from the steamer and set it on the counter to cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Caution: Do NOT place your hands directly in the line of steam!
- You could get severe steam burns!
- Caution: Do NOT place your hands directly in the line of steam!
- The pasta will look quite sticky… No worries!
- Add 1/2 cup of cold milk to the pasta and stir gently. the cold milk will help loosen the “stuck” pasta. Don’t worry if they don’t all come “unstuck”. Cover and set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
- Arrange the frozen green beans and frozen spinach side by side on a steamer plate. Place inside the steamer and steam for 3-4 min to thaw. Remove carefully from the steamer and set aside.Â
- If using fresh green beans – steam for 2-3 min and remove.
- If using fresh spinach, steam for 2-3 min and remove.
- While steaming the beans and spinach, cook the tomatoes on the stove-top:
- Place the chopped tomatoes in a small heavy bottom saucepan and sprinkle 1/16 tsp salt on top.
- Add 2 tbsp water and cook, covered, on low-medium heat, for 4-5 min, until tomatoes are squishy soft.
- If they look too watery, remove the cover and continue to heat, with stirring, to allow some of the liquid to evaporate. They should look similar to the picture shown in the main recipe for the microwaved tomatoes. While still hot, mash the cooked tomatoes with a fork.
- Prepare the seasoned spinach-cottage cheese mixture as described in the main recipe.
- Remove the cover from the pasta pan. Gently loosen the pasta from the bottom of the pan and flip it over.
- Arrange the vegetables on top as described in the main recipe: first the green beans, then the shredded pumpkin, then the spinach-cottage cheese mixture, followed by the mashed tomatoes. Lastly spread the shredded Parmesan on top.
- Splash a little water on top (about 1 tbsp) of the assembled pasta.
- Add 1 cup of water to the steamer pot (some of the initially added water will have evaporated by this time!)
- Place inside the steamer and steam for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from the steamer and set aside, undisturbed, for 5-7 min
Storing Leftovers:
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a glass/ceramic container with a good lid and refrigerate.- Use within 2-3 days
- To serve, reheat, in the microwave or steamer until properly heated through.
- Use within 8-10 days
- To serve, set on the counter for about 30 min to partially thaw, then reheat, in the microwave or steamer until properly heated through.
Hi Sushama.,
I made this one pot pasta today. It was especially good for mom. My mom has several food restrictions and this recipe provided her with all the necessary nutrients. She enjoyed it a lot. Thank you!!
Thanks Usha! I’m so happy it worked for your Mom and that she enjoyed having it! Thanks for the review and 5-star rating too!