Tell me all you want that I’m in a puttanesca rut. As long as olives + capers + tomatoes still tastes delicious, I’ll be continuing to cook various iterations of that combo. I learned about the one-pot pasta technique when a friend of mine forwarded this Italian wonderpot recipe to me. I knew immediately that one pot spaghetti alla puttanesca was going to be our next Sunday dinner.
I don’t blame you for being skeptical, since I was too, about this idea of cooking the pasta directly in the sauce. But holy smokes, the pasta really was perfectly cooked, and it could not have been easier. The liquid, as promised, thickened up thanks to the starch in the pasta (here is the whole wheat spaghetti I often use), and formed a light, savory sauce. I foresee that a non-puttanesca iteration will also be happening very soon.
Update 8/2014: I love this recipe so much that I made another one pot pasta using fresh spring veggies (namely zucchini) and a white wine lemon sauce. I’m sure a summer variation will also be coming soon!
Update 4/2016: Yes, the one pot craze bit me hard. Check out my latest one pot recipes! One pot tandoori quinoa; one pot coconut curry pasta; one pot creamy vegan fettuccine alfredo; one pot Moroccan quinoa with red lentils.
Whether it’s puttanesca or not, I really do think you should try out this one pot pasta cooking method! It’s fast, easy, delicious, and pretty fun to make. Have a bountiful week and weekend!
- 12 oz. whole wheat spaghetti (you should not substitute for this; see notes)
- 2 oz. sliced black olives (up to 4 oz. for olive lovers)
- 1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and chopped
- ¾ c. cooked chickpeas
- 2 tb. capers
- ½ large white or yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes, low sodium or no salt added
- 1 tb. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- ½ tsp. dried thyme
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes (reduce to ¼ tsp. if sensitive to heat)
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper (reduce to ¼ tsp. if freshly ground)
- salt (see notes)
- 3 c. vegetable broth, low sodium or no salt added
- (Optional step). If you have a few extra minutes, warm a teaspoon or so of olive oil in the pan, and then add the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally until just starting to turn golden. Add a splash of broth to loosen up the onion and garlic before proceeding to the next step as written.
- Add the pasta to a large, deep skillet, breaking in half if needed (a saucepan may also work)
- Add the rest of the ingredients, minus the broth, to the pan on top of the pasta (artsy arrangement not necessary!)
- Pour the vegetable broth over everything.
- Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer (medium to medium-low heat) and, keeping covered & stirring occasionally, cook for 8-10 more minutes, or until pasta is done through.
My olives, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, capers, and tomatoes all came from (BPA-free) cans, so I found that I didn't need to add any salt, even with my homemade salt-free vegetable broth. It's easiest to salt to taste after the pasta is done cooking, but if none of your ingredients have salt added, I recommend adding a bit before cooking in order to get the same results that I did.
In my picture the onions are chopped, but they will do a better job cooking through if you mince them. Sorry for the visual deception.
Finally, I have heard some feedback that the leftovers can get soggy. I think you can minimize the chances of this by: 1) cooking the pasta to al dente, 2) tossing with a bit of olive oil before you store it, and/or 3) let it fully cool, uncovered, before storing.
(Adapted from Apron Strings.) And here’s the finished product! Not super stylish, but delicious. I didn’t stir it a whole lot during cooking – just enough to keep the noodles from sticking.
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I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Love love love this recipe and I can’t wait to hear how your race goes this weekend! I am rooting for you!
Thanks Laura!! I’m pretty nervous but excited 😀
Um, that looks amazing. Being in a Puttanesca rut sounds okay by me!! Good luck in your race 😀
Thanks, Katie!
I’m in love with this! I’m incredibly lazy so opening up a few cans and cooking all in one pot is perfection.
I feel ya on the laziness, Kelly! Very little prep work is one of the many reasons I love puttanesca/this dish.
Loved it! Do you have any idea as to the nutritional breakdown?
So glad you liked it, Carrie! Thanks! Off the top of my head, I would say that the whole grain pasta and chickpeas add a substantial amount of protein/fiber, but as far as specific nutrient levels, I think an online nutrition calculator would be much more accurate than I would =].
I am Italian.
And this is BLASPHEMY for us.
The pasta MUST BE boiled in water with nothing else but salt. The sauce must be added ONLY when the pasta is cooked, and it must be ‘al dente’, which means cooked until just firm. I’m sure this receipt is good, but please don’t ever call it Italian 🙂
I really did try to avoid (and always do, whenever my recipes are inspired by other cultures than my own) implying that this dish is authentic. It is inspired by Italian food and I defend my decision to say so, as a way of giving people a sense of the flavor profile.
I hope I’m correct that your comment is lighthearted, but if not, I’m sorry to have offended you, as that was certainly my not my intention.
No offense, I understood what you meant! I didn’t want to sound so patriotic, I was exaggerating on purpose 🙂
Okay, phew, I’m glad =]
Just want to let you know that this recipe is AMAZING. Delicious and very easy to make! I loved it. My husband loved it. My 2-year-old loved it. My 1-year-old loved it. We ALL loved it. Thank you!!!!
Wow – I’m so happy to hear that this was kid-friendly! That’s awesome. Thanks very much for letting me know, Emily!
If you haven’t tested anything other than whole wheat, how do you know nothing else will work? I’m gluten free and I haven’t met a recipe I can’t adjust yet, in ten+ years. Probably the cooking time/liquid would need to be adjusted, but I’d be shocked if you couldn’t make something good with it.
Hi Akua,
I had a reader try this with gluten-free pasta (and no other changes to the recipe), and it made the pasta fall apart, so I added a note of caution. However, I definitely agree with you – with some tweaking it could still be great, but I am not comfortable recommending that type of substitution without having tested it. If you try it then I would love for you to let me know of your findings!
Do you think I can make this in a non-one-pot way? I want to have left overs, so I think having the sauce and pasta separate would be better, right? The pasta with a bit of olive oil to keep it from drying out, cooked el dente, and then the sauce. If I just chuck it all together in a pot to cook that should work, I assume? Also, I don’t really love artichoke hearts, do you think they are vital?
That would probably work fine (let me know how it goes!). Mine worked fine as leftovers for about 3 days, even when cooked in one pot, but a couple of people had their leftovers be kind of mushy, so the safest bet would be to cook them separately. You might want to reduce the amount of broth in the sauce, though, since the pasta won’t be cooking in it to thicken it up. The artichoke hearts are definitely not vital.
By the way, your recipe is featured on Buzzfeed – thats how I found it: http://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/one-pot-pastas
I make something similar but find that I like penne pasta better. I like to add red bell pepper too. For a crowd I make this in a 5 QT Dutch oven (450 degrees F for 35-40 min) toss 1 lb of penne with 1 Tb olive oil, top with undrained diced tomatoes (I used home canned so about 1 qt), add in other goodies (like your recipe), herbs then cover & bake. I really don’t do exact measurements. I just spread even layers of each item, after baking I toss the ingredients to mix lightly, add fresh sliced basil on top and replace the lid until ready to eat. Baking it makes it a great “hands off” event.
Baking it sounds like a really good idea! I’m also glad to hear that it works well with ‘lazy’ ingredient amounts – do you not even measure a specific amount of liquid?
Do you use stock, or just the canned tomatoes?
In case you haven’t examined everything other than whole wheat grains, how will you know nothing otherwise is fine? I’m gluten cost-free along with My partner and i haven’t attained a menu My partner and i can’t change however. Probably the cooking time/liquid would have to end up being modified, although I’d end up being amazed in the event you couldn’t create anything very good by using it.
Hi Chris,
You’re right that I haven’t tested the other options (e.g. gluten-free or white pasta), and that’s why I haven’t listed instructions for using them. I agree that with some tweaking, this dish could be gluten-free, but I haven’t worked with gluten-free pasta and I’m uncomfortable recommending a substitution. I wanted to make it clear that if anyone tries that, it will be an experiment and I can’t guarantee good results. If you try it out, I’d love to hear how it goes.
I made this for dinner last night. It was delicious, and RIDICULOUSLY simple to make! I thought the amount of oregano in the recipe (1 Tb.) was a bit much, so I used 1 tsp., but other than that I followed the recipe. I took the advice and let it cool completely (uncovered) before storing the leftovers. I had another portion for dinner tonight, and did not find it mushy. We’ll see what the texture of the frozen portions are like sometime in the near future. Thanks for sharing this recipe – I will definitely make it again. 🙂
I will admit I can be overzealous with my oregano love :). I’m glad you were able to adjust the seasoning to your taste, and so happy that you enjoyed the dish! Thanks for letting me know =]
I can definitely relate – I have a similar tendency with basil!!
Everything tasted so good! I added fresh oregano and basil from my herb garden. There’s only one thing that I will change next time. Ill use regular pasta! This was the first time that I ever used wheat pasta and I guess I don’t like it haha! The rest was absolutely delicious though! Also, was I supposed to drain the canned tomato?
I could see how whole wheat pasta might be an acquired taste! I’m really glad to hear that you liked everything else though, thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂 I didn’t intend for the canned tomato to be drained, but if you are sensitive to the canned taste or anything I’m sure draining them wouldn’t cause any issues.
Btw, you may want to increase the liquid if you make it again with white pasta – to about 4 cups.
This was so delicious! It turned out amazing!
Thanks for sharing!
Shawn
So glad you liked it, Shawn! 🙂
Just cooked this for dinner. Tastes fantastic and was easy to prepare and cook! I’m not a vegan but this is just great as an introduction to veganisim…
Thanks for your comment, Ida, I’m so happy to hear that you liked the dish! This is definitely one of those recipes that you don’t have to be vegan enjoy 🙂
Wow.. I just made this for dinner and it was amazing. I will have to add this dish to my lists of favorites and make it often! It was really quick and easy. Even my meat loving boyfriend couldn’t get enough of it.
OMG this was sooo good!!! My meat loving boys had seconds and my former vegetarian brother said it was awesome and that his still vegetarian kids would like this! Thanks
So happy to hear it, thank you for sharing!
Rich and delicious – I used buckwheat pasta and it was perfect.
Thanks!
I’m happy that you enjoyed it 🙂 and good to know that it worked with buckwheat pasta!
Oooh, ya, I love this recipe! I think I’ve seen a few times on Pinterest but finally clicked through to have a look. I’ll give it a try soon 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Deryn! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed =]
Thank you, God for one pot spaghetti! Love, busy nurse with a veggie monster for a husband.
I love this recipe for how well it fits into busy schedules 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
I’m currently eating gluten free. I went against your advice, and used a Brown rice rigatoni noodle. The sauce was more like Italian dressing consistency, but just as great. Thanks!
Thanks so much for letting me know that the recipe worked for you with brown rice pasta – and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I used gluten free rice pasta swirls and it turned out a treat!! My fussy kids loved it! I also put the onions, garlic and artichoke in my Vitamix and wizzed until puréed. I thought that my kids wouldn’t try the pasta if they saw the artichokes. Thanks for a great recipe! X
What a great idea to puree the veggies first!! Glad to hear that the rice pasta worked too 🙂
I made this with regular pasta- thin spaghetti, although I normally use angel hair pasta. I did increase the broth to 4 cups per the recipe. LOVED IT! turned out great! I’m 1/2 Italian and never tried this kind of dish.. will def. make again!
This sounds awesome! I want to make this for a large group, do you think it can doubled & made in a paella pan?
Margie, I think you could definitely double it (though I have not personally tried doing so)! Let me know how you like it!
How easily do you think you could transfer this recipe for slow cooker? I am thinking put all ingredient into crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours? Maybe less? Not sure.
I honestly am not sure would happen with this recipe in the slow cooker… I’m worried that the texture of the pasta wouldn’t come out right but I really have no idea. You’d have to just go with your gut instinct. and if you try it I’d love to hear whether it’s a success!
Shannon! This is a brilliant creation. I don’t know if I will ever make pasta the traditional way again! We used gluten-free rice pasta with Rice Bran in it (Tinkyada). I figured that maybe it would add the most starchy thickener to the broth. It turned out gorgeous! Appreciate your heads up about it under your notes and reviews from those who gave GF a go. My guess is we could probably add some sauteed veg (zucchini?) to the pot before adding the broth. Thanks again!
Simple, quick and DELICIOUS! Kept to recipe. Def keeping this in my rotation. thanks!!
Was super excited about trying this recipe… but unfortunately it turned out really bland. Maybe it would have had more flavor had I used tomatoes that were salted? Not sure but it definitely didn’t have a lot of flavor. Hopefully will turn out better next time!
Hi Olivia, I’m so sorry to hear that you were underwhelmed by the flavor of the pasta. I usually find that between the chickpeas, artichokes, capers, olives… there’s a lot of briny goodness in there. Because the recipe calls for a lot of canned or jarred, shelf stable ingredients it’s been pretty much impossible for me to come up with an amount of salt that would work for everyone to add, so I would definitely recommend adding more salt to taste after cooking is finished. I have stated this in the recipe notes but maybe I should make that more clear. A drizzle of olive oil can also help to round things out. Thanks for your comment – I appreciate the feedback.
Hi there I just stumbled upon what looks like a great recipe. I LOVE Puttanesca. I am Celiac and have only started experimenting with regular recipes and mixing in gluten free products. I’ll give it a whirl tonight and let you know my results!
I loveeeeed this recipe! I diddnt really succeed with the “one pot pasta” thing though. I used gluten free pasta ( saw your warning too late) and it made the sauce taste like pasta a lot. The pasta kinda cooked together too ( I know it´s not idéal but I used a wok because i diddnt have a large enough pan). What are your thoughts, do you think gluten free pasta and the wok made that much of a différence?
I was thinking of cooking the pasta appart next time. Then should I add less broth to the original recipe?
Thanks so much and keep the good work!
Gluten-free pasta definitely doesn’t guarantee the same results; I wouldn’t guess the wok had much to do with it. Some readers have had success with gluten-free pasta, but that could vary wildly depending on what it’s made out of.
Cooking it separately should work! Omit the broth completely. Reserve a little bit (around 1/4 cup) of the pasta cooking liquid to make a more cohesive sauce if needed when you add in the cooked pasta.
So I ended up trying this recipe with an ancient grain gluten free Penne. I figured it would be sturdier and hold up better in the dish being a gluten free noodle. It was awesome!!! I made no variations at all and it was great the next day which usually isn’t so great with GF pasta. Thanks!!!
I made this last night, using whole wheat thin spaghetti. I found that some of the spaghetti was stuck together, but when I had tried to stir it earlier in the process, it wasn’t cooked enough and the spaghetti broke into pieces instead. Also, when it was all done, it was very sticky and gluey and there wsn’t really much “sauce” to speak of, all the liquid was gone. However, it tasted good. I’m not so hung up on texture, but is there anything I did wrong? Should I try the original 4 cups of broth in the original recipe?
Hi Mark,
I’m honestly not totally sure what went wrong here – I’m wondering if your pasta had some other ingredients aside from whole wheat flour which made the recipe not behave as expected? The other thing that comes to mind is that your pan may have been too shallow/wide which caused the broth to evaporate before the starches from the pasta could collide with it. This is purely speculation though. I’m really sorry that you didn’t have an ideal outcome, though I am glad you enjoyed the flavor anyway! I wish I could help more :/
This was amazing and delicious! So easy and quick to prepare – just my type of dish 🙂
Just curious if I’m draining the artichokes and the chickpeas first before cooking, or if I should not drain them.
Drain the artichokes and chickpeas. But not the tomatoes!
I’ve made this with brown rice spaghetti noodles many times and it turns out fine. I keep it on high with the lid on and stir often. I wanted to add my comment since many others who are gluten free have asked the same question.
Thanks so much for this comment! I’m going to try it tonight with brown rice & quinoa pasta from Trader Joe’s so I’m glad I have a good chance of success!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it with whole wheat linguine and added portobella mushrooms and it was fantastic! It even tasted good cold the next day for lunch and was not mushy at all. Thanks again!
This recipe has become a staple for our home ever since I discovered it. I LOVE the one pot feature and how all the flavors come together. Personally, I feel like chickpeas have too strong of a flavor for the dish and end up competing against the other ingredients. As such, I use simple white beans and it is perfect for our family. Thanks for sharing! YUM!!
This was delicious! I did sauté the onions and garlic till soft before adding all remaining ingredients. Substituted once cup white wine with the vegetable broth. Bravo on this winning recipe!
I made this with gluten free pasta which I cooked separately and used a pot of antipasti (artichokes, sundried tomatoes and olives) that needed using up. It was really yummy! My 15 year old son and husband wolfed it down and there was some left over to freeze. Will definitely be cooking this again.
Made this last night, except cooked it in the Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker). I used whole wheat thin spaghetti, and the amount of liquid called for in the recipe above. Cooked for half the written directions for the pasta, and it was very good. The spaghetti noodles stick together some, and I think it could have used maybe 1/2 cup more liquid for the IP. Overall a great recipe! My husband had seconds!
Thanks for sharing your experience modifying the recipe for the Instant Pot!
I just found your site and I am so happy I did! We tried the Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca and we loved it. We are not vegan but work hard to eat clean. We were concerned that with the ingredients that it would serve more than 4-6 as it looked like a lot of food. There are only 2 of us now. I cut it in half but watched the broth and ended up using about 2 cups. We had enough for dinner 2 nights. They were very generous portions!! Your site is also very beautiful. Nicely done all the way around!
I just made this for dinner tonight. HUGE hit. I don’t eat meat so this was perfect for me – my husband does eat meat so he just added the meat he wanted to his plate. This will definitely be a keeper and go-to for quick dinners. Thank you 🙂
Nice recipe! Because I didn’t have diced tomatoes and spaghetti pasta, I subbed whole wheat penne pasta and 8oz tomato sauce and it worked!
This looks amazing! I am adding it to my list of “must try this week” recipes 🙂
This is great! The seasonings add the perfect touch- it takes this dish to a whole other level. Thanks!