One Pot Tomato Parmesan Pasta

This easy recipe for one pot tomato Parmesan pasta cooks all the ingredients up together for a delicious and no fuss pasta supper!

Tomato parmesan pasta on a plate with cherry tomatoes.
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❤️ Why we love this recipe

I do love me one pot recipes where you can dump everything in one pot (looking at you, one pot spaghetti and meatballs) and it all cooks up obediently and deliciously together, don’t you?

In addition to the obvious advantage of having only one pot to wash up (or in our house, for the wonderful Southern husband and/or my sweet son-in-law to wash up), when you cook something pasta-based like this recipe, the pasta absorbs all the flavors and YUM.

In this case we are talking about tangy Parmesan cheese, a little sweet onion, and some cherry tomatoes.

There is an optional teeny bit of cream in this recipe which you are completely allowed to leave out, but I gotta tell you that it gives the texture of this one pot supper a silky, luxurious something something.

So grab your favorite pot and let’s make it!

🍅 Ingredients you need

Ingredients for One Pot Tomato Parmesan Pasta.

📝 Ingredient notes and substitutions

  • Pasta: We like a short pasta for this recipe. We used bow-ties, but penne, elbows, campanelle or any short pasta will work.
  • Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the kind in the box (as opposed to the can) for the freshest flavor.
  • Sweet Onion: If you want a little more sass to the overall flavor, you can swap in a red onion or a white onion – they have a little more bite.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to make this recipe

Ingredients for one pot tomato pasta in a pot.

STEP 1: Combine pasta, broth, water, tomatoes, onion, parsley and oregano in a large pot. We love our Dutch oven for this recipe, but any large pot will do fine.

One pot tomato parmesan pasta in a pot.

STEP 2: Bring to a simmer, and then cook for the amount of time indicated on the pasta box, stirring occasionally, and adding more water if the liquid is absorbed before the pasta is tender.

Plate of tomato parmesan pasta.

STEP 3: When the pasta is done, stir in 4 tablespoons of butter and a cup of grated Parmesan cheese until the butter is melted.  At this point I sometimes add a quarter cup of cream, depending upon how decadent I feel – it’s completely optional, but it does give this pasta an extra silky texture.  Taste and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

Divide among plates, topping with a little more Parmesan and a little extra chopped parsley, and don’t forget to rejoice in the fact that there is only one pot to wash!

🤔 Recipe FAQs

Can I make this recipe vegetarian?

I know, it’s SO close! You can swap out the chicken broth for all water, or for vegetable broth and then it will be totally veggie!

Can I use regular sized tomatoes?

Yep! Just cut them into cherry tomato-sized chunks. But if you are making this in the winter, I highly recommend using cherry tomatoes…unlike regular tomatoes that lose their rich tomato taste when tomato season ends, cherry tomatoes hand on to their lovely taste all year round, for mysterious reasons.

Have a question that I didn’t cover?

Leave me your question in the comments below and I promise to answer it pronto!

🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe

These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!

  • Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
  • Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
  • Dutch Oven: This sturdy all-purpose pot is spendy, but we literally use it so much that it never leaves our stovetop.
  • Food Scale: We use this for measuring everything from pasta to meat to flour.
  • Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.

🍽️ What to serve with this recipe

One of the lovely things about this recipe is that it has pasta and veggies all in one serving, but we wouldn’t say no to some green bean salad or some grilled flatbread. Or maybe some focaccia?

And let’s have some chocolate chess pie for dessert!

😍 Other one pot recipes we love!

Looking for more one pot inspiration? We’ve got you covered! 🥳 Here is our complete collection of one pot recipes.

🤔 We want to know what you think!

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe card.

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One Pot Tomato Parmesan Pasta

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This easy recipe for one pot tomato Parmesan pasta cooks all the ingredients up together for a delicious and no fuss pasta supper!

  • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces short pasta (bow-ties, penne, etc)
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
  • Salt and pepper
  • ¼ cup cream (optional)
  • Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

  1. Combine pasta, broth, water, tomatoes, onion, parsley and oregano in a large pot. Bring to a simmer, and then cook for the amount of time indicated on the pasta box, stirring occasionally, and adding more water if the liquid is absorbed before the pasta is tender.
  2. When the pasta is done, stir in the butter and the cheese until the butter is melted. If you are using the cream, add it now.  Taste and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
  3. Divide among plates, topping with a little more Parmesan and a little extra chopped parsley.

Notes

    • Pasta: We like a short pasta for this recipe. We used bow-ties, but penne, elbows, campanelle or any short pasta will work.

    • Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the kind in the box (as opposed to the can) for the freshest flavor.

    • Sweet Onion: If you want a little more sass to the overall flavor, you can swap in a red onion or a white onion – they have a little more bite.

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