Tomato Basil Pasta Recipe: One-Pot 

This all-in-one pasta recipe lets you cook the pasta with your homemade sauce. So if you’re not in the mood to wash an extra pot for cooking pasta, this one’s for you. I make this dish almost every week. It’s easy and flavorful. 

Pasta Water

Unlike the traditional way of cooking pasta in just water, the sauce maintains the starch, so it gives you a thickish sauce. In terms of health concerns, there’s a debate on how healthy pasta water is. Those who are in favor of saving pasta water and using it for baking bread or sauces point to the vitamins and minerals in the liquid gold. Additionally, pasta is a complex carbohydrates, so you get the benefits of fiber with the starch. Those against it focus on the carbohydrates. 

I love pasta and don’t really avoid it. I find that dishes that you love and are easy to make, if it prevents you from getting take out or eating ultra-processed food, is a win. Moreover, garlic and porcini mushrooms are packed with antioxidants and tomatoes with vitamin C. There’s good stuff here!   

I sometimes eat this with homemade cheese made with nuts, such as raw almonds, sunflower seeds, and pecans! It’s a great way to fill up when you need energy, such as before a tennis.

Did you know? Porcini mushrooms are protein-rich and considered a low-calorie food.

Tomato Basil Pasta Recipe: One-Pot

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Serves: 4-6 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil 

1 shallot finely chopped 

1 head of garlic (grated or finely chopped)

4-5 pieces of dried porcini mushrooms 

1 tbs. dried thyme 

2 cups of canned diced tomatoes or 1 14.5 oz  can

4 1/2 cups water

1 tbs. vegetable bouillon

1 17.6 oz bag of spaghetti pasta 

1/2 cup nutritional yeast 

3 cups of chopped basil 

Instructions

• Take a large heavy bottomed pan or a sauté pan. I’m using Caraway’s sauté pan in the video. In medium heat, add oil, and let it heat up, but not burn. Add the shallot and fry until translucent.
• Add the garlic, porcini mushrooms, and thyme. Cook and stir, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn or get overly brown (about a minute). Add tomatoes and let them cook (3-5 minutes).
• Add 3 cups of water, bouillon, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. If you’re using a heavy-bottomed pan, then you can add all the water. If you’re splitting the water like I am, while waiting for the water to boil, I take a kettle and heat up the rest of the water.
• When the water in the pot is boiling, add the pasta. Don’t cover. Cook as you would regular pasta. Follow your pasta instructions for cooking time. My pasta was 11 minutes. I like to add the rest of my hot water after about 6 minutes.
• When the pasta is cooked, stir in the nutritional yeast and chopped basil.  Turn off heat and serve.