One-pot pasta is a bit of a mysterious wonder. All of the ingredients--dried pasta, veggies, seasonings--go into a big pot with what looks like an impossible amount of liquid. Everything's brought to a boil, then you toss (and toss and toss) it in the pot while it bubbles away. It's not unlike a stir-fry of sorts, in that it cooks quickly over high heat-with lots of hands-on time while it boils. But it takes very few minutes to go from raw to "dinner's ready!"
And, what an awesome dinner it is. Suddenly, you have a glorious pot of perfect pasta with tender veggies and a scrumptious sauce. Magic, I'm telling you!
This version, One-Pot Peanut Sesame Noodles & Veggies, takes its cue from Asian influences -- specifically the cold sesame noodle salad that most everyone knows and loves. We start with lots of veggies: onion, red bell pepper, carrots and bok choy.
Throw the veggies in a pot along with water, seasonings, and pasta. Dried linguine, by the way, is my go-to for one-pot pastas as it cooks up reliably within the (very specific!) 9-minute time frame and is sturdy enough to hold up to all the tossing that one-pot pastas need.
Aside from the veggies, this one-pot pasta gets its Asian flair from Tamari-style soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and a good bit of brown sugar for sweetness and balance. And don't forget the heat! This recipe calls for a modest amount of crushed red pepper flakes, but if you're brave, throw in some more.
After you take it off the stove, you toss in a few handfuls of Napa cabbage along with a splash of rice vinegar. Then top with lots of cilantro, peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, maybe even a few scallions if you're inclined. One pot, many ways!
This post was originally published on August 11, 2014.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine, uncooked
- 3 ½ cups water
- 1 medium bok choy or 3 baby bok choy, about ½ pound, sliced (about 3 cups)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, cut into coins (about 1 cup)
- 1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- ¼ cup Tamari-style soy sauce*
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, add more if you like more heat
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ medium Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups, loosely packed)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- Toppings: fresh cilantro, chopped salted peanuts, sliced scallions, and/or toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- To a large and heavy pot over high heat, add the linguine, water, bok choy, bell pepper, carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt.
- As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, set the timer for 9 minutes and cook, tossing constantly with tongs, taking care to make sure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the 9 minutes is up, the veggies should be tender, the pasta cooked through, and it should have a saucy consistency, with most of the liquid having evaporated.
- Remove from heat and add the cabbage and vinegar, tossing until cabbage wilts, about 30 seconds.
- Serve, topping individual bowls with cilantro, peanuts, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds.
Trish says
Made this tonight and it was fantastic! I used mushrooms and broccoli too so my four year old would eat it and even she liked it 🙂 Also used rice noodles and it still worked out great - thanks!
Sarah Haas Keller says
Hi Trish! I'm curious about making this recipe with Rice Noodles as well. Do you remember if you adjusted the 9 minute cook time?
Thank you!
Sarah
T says
Made this one for friends - it was a big hit. Best at-home asian noodles yet.
Jasmin says
Hey 🙂
Maybe this is a silly question but does anyone know if you can freeze this and it will defrost ok?
Thanks!
Sarah says
Hi Kare, I just wanted to leave you a 5-star rating for this recipe because it’s one I’ve made many times and it’s always a hit. I usually add a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter because I like that flavor, but otherwise I follow the recipe to a T. Thank you for such an easy, delicious dish!
Alyson says
Lots more prep time than I anticipated, but the whole family was delighted from toddler on up! Was thrilled to be sneaking in so many veggies too. 😄