5 Ingredient One-Pot Pasta

5.0 from 1 vote

Let me introduce you to my favorite way to make a yummy pasta dish that the whole family will love. This 5-Ingredient One-Pot Pasta is ready in 30 minutes and doesn’t leave a big mess to clean up! It requires only slightly more effort than using a jar pasta sauce but packs so much more flavor without all the preservatives.

Ingredients

• 16 oz pasta
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 14 oz tomato sauce – I usually use organic, no salt added tomato sauce, but sometimes will use a pizza sauce if the ingredients look clean!
• 150 g shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese, divided – freshly shredded cheese is going to work the best for this recipe
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

How to Make 5 Ingredient One Pot Pasta

In a large pot or dutch oven boil your pasta until al dente (as described on the package). Strain the pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water to use for the sauce. Set the pasta aside.

Sauté the tomatoes and Italian seasoning until the tomatoes soften (3-5 minutes).

Add the tomato sauce and cook together for another 3-5 minutes. Add the 1/2 cup of pasta water and begin gradually stirring in the shredded cheese. Add about 1/2 cup at a time and stir until it is fully incorporated into the sauce.

Once all of the cheese is melted into the sauce, add the pasta back in and stir to fully coat.

Optional: Instead of adding all of the cheese to the sauce, reserve about 1/2 cup. Once the pasta is mixed with the sauce, sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top and bake in the oven at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Tips & Tricks

• Uniform Sizing: Cut all your ingredients to roughly the same size. This ensures even cooking, especially important when everything cooks in one pot. If one ingredient is much larger, it might not cook at the same rate as the others.
• Liquid Levels: Keep an eye on the liquid level throughout cooking. Start with enough liquid to just cover the pasta, but you might need to add a splash more if it gets absorbed too quickly. The pasta will release starch, helping to create a creamy sauce, but you don’t want it to dry out or stick.
• Stirring: Stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. This also helps distribute the flavors evenly as everything cooks together. But don’t overdo it, as you want some of the pasta to absorb the flavors from the sauce without breaking apart.
• Resting Time: Once cooked, let the pasta rest off the heat for a couple of minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together and the pasta to absorb any remaining liquid, enhancing the dish’s taste and texture. If it seems too soupy, this resting period can thicken it up naturally.

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5.0 from 1 vote