Hey there! I’m Jules and I’m excited to be guest posting on the BurlingtonVT Moms Blog. I’m a blogger and recipe developer obsessed with real food – growing it, cooking it, preserving it, and, of course, eating it. And I write all about it at yankeekitchenninja.com , where my goal is to help my readers live healthier lifestyles by cutting processed crap out of their diets through healthy, easy recipes that anyone can make, DIY pantry staples and home-preserved food.

One such healthy, easy recipe is this one-pot tomato basil pasta. Yep, you read that correctly: one pot. Because I go completely cray cray over “one-pot” recipes that actually require you to cook the pasta separately. That’s two pots, people; I may not love math but I can count to freakin’ TWO. Therefore, I swear to you this recipe only involves one pot. Do you own a big pot? Good. Got a stove and 15 minutes? Excellent. That’s pretty much all you need to get a wholesome, real-food dinner on the table tonight.

I’ve heard these one-pot pasta recipes referred to as “wonderpots” – and I can understand why. In fact, I think they’re triply wonderful:

1.  First wonder: The pasta is self-saucing. That is, as the pasta cooks in the pot with the fresh ingredients, it releases starches that thicken the cooking liquid to form a rich sauce. How freakin’ cool is that?

2.  Second wonder: It’s absurdly quick and easy to make. Just throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot (ONE POT, NOT TWO), stir the bejesus out of it for ten minutes and then – wonder of wonders! – dinner is served. Now that’s my kind of meal. And yours, too, I bet, as a busy mom.

3.  Third wonder: The recipe is completely customizable. Do you eat gluten-free? Substitute quinoa spaghetti. Want to change up the flavor? Use different herbs and spices and toss in some mushrooms. Prefer more protein? Add some cooked sausage near the end of the cooking time.

Added bonus or fourth wonder? The continual ten minutes of stirring is an amazing arm workout. Seriously. If I made this one-pot pasta every day, I’d have arms like Michelle Obama in no time. Now, I’d probably be so sick of pasta that I would want to jab myself in the eye with a sharp stick, but hey, my arms would be epic.

Enjoy the pasta – and the workout. I’ll be back each month with another recipe to help you save time and eat better. Until then you can check out my complete list of easy and healthy weeknight meals on my blog.

While the recipe as written calls for whole wheat pasta, I have also made it with gluten-free quinoa spaghetti.

Ingredients:

1 13.25-oz. box whole wheat linguine

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (this is 1 dry pint grape tomatoes)

handful of basil, chopped

handful of parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

pinch red pepper flakes

5 cups water

parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to submerge the pasta as it softens. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring and tossing continually (tongs are great for this) for about 8 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the pasta is cooked. Serve immediately topped with parmesan cheese.

Written By:  Julianne Puckett

I’m a designer, recipe developer, writer and food blogger. On my blog, Yankee Kitchen Ninja, I help you eat better and enjoy a healthier lifestyle through what I call “stealthy homemaking”: easy, real-food recipes that anyone can make, DIY pantry staples to help you kick the processed food habit and tips for growing and preserving some food of your own. While I grew up in New England, I spent most of my adult life as a suburban-dwelling IT professional in the South. One hundred eighty degrees later, I’m happy to live now in rural Vermont, where I struggle to balance the siren call of my inner farmer with my love of cute shoes and cocktails.

You can reach me through my blog: Yankee Kitchen Ninja