One-pot pasta is the perfect recipe when time is short, and appetites are high. As a professional vegan chef, I’m often asked how to make an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love. My one-pot pasta is the answer.
This out of the (pasta) box technique is, without a doubt, one of my favorites because of its versatility, flavor, and comfort food factor.
How to Make Plant-Based One-Pot Pasta
Follow my one-pot pasta formula, and you’ll always be able to make a delicious, plant-based meal with whatever ingredients you have on hand. There’s no recipe to remember, only a series of steps to follow to get to a perfect plant-based dish.
Step 1: Saute Aromatics
Begin with a soup pot or large and deep pan set to medium heat. Saute aromatics, such as onion, garlic, or shallot in a little oil.
Step 2: Add Hearty Vegetables
Add hearty vegetables to the pan—the ones that need a bit more time to soften. I recommend carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, potato, celery, or peppers. Chop these vegetables into uniformly-sized pieces to help them cook evenly.
Step 3: Add Delicate Vegetables
After the heartier vegetables have cooked for a few minutes and began to soften, add more delicate vegetables to the pan. Try adding kale or other greens, mushrooms, or squash. Cook a few minutes longer.
Step 4: Deglaze Pan
Deglaze your pan with a little vinegar or wine to pick up the flavors from the bottom of the pan and add depth of flavor.
Step 5: Add Pasta, Liquid, and Seasonings
For a creamy pasta dish, use a 1:1 ratio of pasta to liquid. You can use water, broth, or a combination of the two. Now is the time to add any additional flavors to your pot, such as spices, seasonings, nutritional yeast, or nut butter.
Step 6: Cover and Simmer
Cover the pot and simmer on low until pasta is cooked, about 6-8 minutes, depending on the pasta type and size.
Step 7: Stir-in Toppings
Add even more flavor to your cooked pasta by stirring in ingredients such as spinach, fresh herbs, hemp seeds, nuts, or pesto.
Flavor Combinations
The beauty of this formula is the freedom it gives you to experiment with different flavor combinations and to use whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Need inspiration? Try one of these flavor combinations to create a creamy and comforting pasta dish every time!
- Pasta Primavera: penne pasta, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, onion, spinach, oregano or oregano essential oil
- Mushroom: cavatelli pasta, mushrooms, cashew butter, veggie broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme or thyme essential oil
- Thai Noodles: linguine pasta, broccoli, spinach, peppers, red cabbage, peanut butter, red curry, lemongrass or lemongrass essential oil
- Taco Pasta: elbow noodles, black beans, tomatoes, greens, cilantro or cilantro essential oil
- Mediterranean Delight: farfalle noodles, olives, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, pesto, basil or basil essential oil
- Lo Mein – linguine noodles, chard, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, cabbage, tamari, ginger or ginger essential oil
What one-pot plant-based pasta dish will you make for dinner tonight?
