One Pot Pasta
May 13, 2020
This makes a basic creamy pasta - think mac n' cheese but without all the cheese. I love the addition of greek yogurt; we always have some around because we use it in lieu of sour cream, and it really shines here. It acts as the sauce, coating each noodle perfectly and adding a touch of acidity as well. Make sure to check out my note at the end of the recipe about other things you can add in for a heartier meal!
One Pot Pasta
(adapted from The Kitchn)
- 10 ounces of large pasta (like penne, fusilli, etc) *
- 4 cups of water
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup pecorino or parmesan cheese
- additional fixins **
In a large pot, combine all ingredients except for the cheese. Bring the mixture to a boil and then let simmer, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking. Continue to boil the pasta uncovered for 8-10 minutes, until most of the liquid has absorbed. Take the pasta off the heat and stir in the cheese and any other fixins. Leftovers keep for a few days in the fridge, just reheat with a little water added in.
* You could also use 12 ounces of a smaller pasta here (like macaroni or ditalini)
** The beauty of this recipe is that it's a fantastic base for any other ingredients you have laying around. Mix in some fresh tomatoes, or sauteed vegetables like zucchini, onion, spinach, or broccoli. Don't stop there- add in cooked bacon or ground sausage, perhaps play with different shredded cheeses or adding ricotta to make it a grown up mac n' cheese. We've also added in frozen peas and some lemon zest. Go ahead and have fun with it!

I'm Marine, but my friends call me Mo! I'm a wholehearted dreamer who sold (practically) everything, drove 3,000+ miles across the country and decided to start fresh in the Pacific Northwest. I'm still finding my way in the world, and this is a place for me to wax poetic about life, the universe, and everything... but mostly mindfulness, nature, food, and cats!