17 One-Pot Pastas to Save Your Tuesday Night
All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
We probably don’t have to introduce you to the miraculous nature of the one-pot pasta. You’ve likely seen it: Dry pasta goes into a pan along with some add-ins, plus a few cups water or broth. It all cooks together, so there’s no large pot of water turning your kitchen into a sauna and no extra dishes to wash when dinner’s over. What you do have: a luxurious, creamy sauce that gets a little help from the starchiness of the noodles. But maybe you’ve stuck to the same few recipes, or you’re looking for a few new one-pot pasta recipes that highlight the produce in season right now.
Below, you’ll find recipes that follow this formula, but there are also boiled noodles tossed with no-cook sauces, ideal for hot summer nights, and pastas that start on the stove before traveling to the oven for a melty, cheesy finish. Find these and plenty more year-round winners, just by scrolling down.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson1/17Simple One-Skillet Chicken Alfredo Pasta
The best one-pot pasta recipes make for hearty meals. Take this reader favorite weeknight dinner recipe: The chicken breast, creamy sauce, and pasta all cook in the same pan, and you can add in veggies or herbs when you stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich2/17Baked Feta Pasta With Chickpeas
This pasta dish offers the best of two viral recipes for big flavor. Slice and cook 12 garlic cloves with crushed red pepper flakes and tomato paste, add a can of chickpeas and ditalini (or another small pasta shape), and let it all simmer until the pasta is barely al dente. Crown with slabs of feta and pop it in the oven for a stunning finish.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano and Stevie Stewart3/17Kale, Tomato, and Lemon Magic One-Pot Spaghetti
If you’ve been making one-pan pasta for a while, the moves here will be familiar. Spaghetti or linguine goes into a large, shallow sauté pan along with cherry tomatoes, lemon zest, and just the right amount of boiling water to cook down into a silky pasta sauce. The method works with gluten-free corn, chickpea, or buckwheat spaghetti too.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson4/17One-Pot Pasta Primavera With Shrimp
“My husband raved about this all night long,” says one reviewer. Another mentions that it also works well using chicken broth instead of water, noting that you may need to cut back on the salt if you try that substitute. Be sure to garnish with lots of fragrant fresh basil leaves. Total time required? Just 22 minutes.
Photograph by Peden + Munk, Food styling by Adriana Paschen, Prop styling by Ceci Garcia5/17Pasta With No-Cook Cherry Tomato Sauce
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine6/17One-Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
We love a classic mac and cheese, but this cozy pumpkin version makes a particularly autumnal one-pot meal.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell7/17One-Pot Spring Pasta With Smoked Salmon
Yes, there are one-pot recipes that are absolutely date night–worthy, like this linguine with asparagus, peas, and smoked salmon. Sour cream and lots of lemon—plus the pasta cooking liquid—come together to make a lively and luscious sauce.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Laura Rege9/17Creamy One-Pot Pasta With Sausage and Squash
Grab your Dutch oven and all your favorite fall ingredients: fresh sage, butternut squash, and Italian sausage. A little grated nutmeg deepens the flavor; finish each plate with some freshly ground black pepper.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Sean Dooley11/17Pasta With No-Cook Zucchini Sauce
Got a bounty of zucchini in the garden, or can’t resist a pile of it at a farmstand? You just met your new summer pasta go-to.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones12/17One-Skillet Orzo With Tomatoes and Eggs
Even an easy lasagna is something of a project. But if you need a quicker pasta-and-melty-mozzarella fix, this stovetop recipe will get you there with much less prep time.
Photo by Evan Sung13/17One-Pan Crispy Braised Chicken and Fennel Pasta
Whole-wheat pasta soaks in the flavor of browned chicken thighs, white wine, chicken stock, and fennel in this one-pot pasta recipe from Basics With Babish by Andrew Rea.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce14/17Broken Lasagna With Parmesan and All the Peas
Photo by David Loftus and Richard Clatworthy15/17One-Pan Sweet Tomato Gnocchi With Asparagus
Swap out your classic pesto recipe for one made with hazelnuts and baby spinach, then use it to top a simple combo of gnocchi in tomato sauce with steamed asparagus.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Gerri Williams16/17One-Pot Pantry Orzo With Chickpeas
Shop your pantry for a quick clean-out-the-cupboards meal that leans on chickpeas, dried oregano, green olives, capers, and tomato paste.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Tim Ferro17/17One-Pot Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese
One-pot pasta recipes like this are just the ticket when you’re craving comfort food. Using frozen broccoli means minimal effort and quick prep.
