Creamy Tomato Basil No-Drain Pasta

Truly a one-pot dinner, plus there’s no need to drain a heavy pot of pasta: Creamy Tomato Basil No-Drain Pasta. Noodles cook right in the creamy sauce making a satisfying (healthy!) dish in just minutes.

It’s Healthy Kitchen Hacks Wednesday – the day we share our favorite time-saving kitchen tricks and cooking shortcuts to help you make healthy and delicious meals.

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Now…onto today’s featured Healthy Kitchen Hack:

Easy No-Drain Pasta for One-Pot Dinners

Today I’ve got a Healthy Kitchen Hack that will help you save a step when making one-pot pasta dinners. Normally, you would probably do all these steps: 1) Cook pasta in a big pot of boiling water, 2) Drain the pasta, 3) Cook the other ingredients in that same pot, 4) Add the drained (hopefully still warm and not-too-sticky) pasta back to the pot 5) Stir everything together

This new Healthy Kitchen Hacks method:

• Saves time: You cook everything – pasta, veggies, meat – all at once
• Saves dishes: No need to use a colander, and another pot (if you use two separate pots, one for the pasta and one for the sauce/meat/veggies)
• Makes the most flavorful noodles ever: Because the pasta cooks with all the other ingredients, it absorbs all the yummy sauce flavors

Here’s how:

Add all the ingredients to a large, wide pan: Pasta, quick cooking veggies (like zucchini, tomatoes or shreds of carrots), quick-cooking proteins (shrimp, fish, 3/4-inch chunks of chicken, beans or tofu,) and seasonings (lemon zest, herbs, spices, homemade ricotta, store-bought ricotta, or cream cheese).

Use a wide pan so the liquid can evaporate easier.

Add just enough water to cover the pasta. Pasta + sauce done in just 15 minutes, thanks to this No-Drain Pasta trick #HealthyKitchenHacks via @TspCurry Click To Tweet

Cook everything, uncovered, on medium heat.

Stir frequently! Otherwise, the pasta will stick together.

Cook until pasta is barely al dente. Spaghetti takes about 15-16 minutes, macaroni takes about 6-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pasta absorb a bit more liquid for about 3 minutes.

Creamy Tomato Basil No-Drain Pasta

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Serena Ball

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Description

A truly one-pot pasta dinner in just 15 minutes with this no-drain pasta hack. Cook the noodles with the garlic, cheese, and tomatoes so they absorb all the yummy flavors. Top with basil and enjoy!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 9 ounces of whole grain spaghetti (about 2/3’s of a 16-ounce package – just eyeball it)
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1 1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese (or 1 3/4 cups of Homemade Ricotta)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

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Instructions

To a large wide skillet or pot, add all ingredients except basil.

Pour enough water over spaghetti to barely cover, about 2 3/4 cups. Turn heat to medium and cook about 15 minutes until pasta is nearly al dente, stirring frequently to keep pasta from sticking together. About 1/2-inch of liquid should remain.

Turn off heat and let pasta sit for 3 more minutes to absorb a bit more liquid while you tear basil into shreds and sprinkle over pasta. Stir.

Notes

Other ingredients may be added to this basic recipe: quick cooking veggies (like zucchini, tomatoes or shreds of carrots), quick-cooking proteins (shrimp, fish, 3/4-inch chunks of chicken, beans or tofu,) and seasonings (lemon zest, herbs, spices, ricotta or cream cheese).

If adding extra ingredients, add another 1/4-1/2 cup water to pan.

Would you ever start pasta in cold water?!