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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…any kind of those will work, but I love going for the multi colored ones myself.
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 that large pot that I know you have and let’s make it!
Ingredients you need
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.
Here’s How To Make This Recipe
STEP 1: Combine pasta, broth, water, tomatoes, onion, parsley and oregano in a large 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.
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.
STEP 4: 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!
One pot tomato pasta FAQ
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!
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.
Leave me your question in the comments below and I promise to answer it pronto!
Here’s to one pot recipes! Hurray!
Want to round out your meal?
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 salad or some bread. Or both! And dessert, of course!
Other One Pot recipes we love
We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating and your thoughts in the Comments section below.
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!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Laura says
Delicious! I added a zucchini and used wide egg noodles. I love this recipe. Thanks! Perfect for a weekday, summer night. Served with bread and butter and glass of wine.
Hi Laura and thank you for this! Love the zucchini addition (and extra love for the glass of wine!) :)
Sally says
Love the flavor this added to the pasta by cooking it in the chicken broth! Such an easy to make meal!
I do love a trusty one pot supper!
Yvonne says
Thx for your reply????
Yvonne says
I like my pasta cooked more, should I add the tomatoes after the pasta has cooked for a bit?
Hi Yvonne! The tomatoes are going to cook down to a pretty good softness, so if you are just giving your pasta another few minutes I think you should be just fine adding the tomatoes at the start. However, you can also estimate how much longer you want your pasta cooked, and add the tomatoes when you get to the regular pasta cooking time (hope that made sense!)