Often the one thing that dissuades us from cooking a weeknight meal at home is the cleanup. But it doesn't have to be that way, because cleaning up is crazy easy if you only use one dish. So here are eight recipes for one-pot pasta meals -- all you need is a pot, some pasta, and a few key ingredients.
Creamy chicken and vegetable pasta
When everything cooks together in one pot, the consistency is creamy and delicious. This is also a good way to trick yourself into eating more vegetables. Give that a whirl with the recipe here.
Key ingredients:
- Chicken breast
- Red bell pepper
- Carrots
- Parmesan cheese
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Boxed mac 'n' cheese or Hamburger Helper are obviously still delicious, but nostalgia only gets you so far. Step it up a little with this recipe here.
Key ingredients:
- Ground beef
- Mushrooms
- Sour cream
- Egg noodles
- Dijon mustard
Mexican pasta with sausage
The sauce is similar to salsa, and the sausage and jalapeños add a welcome kick. It all comes together in about 20 minutes. Recipe right here.
Key ingredients:
- Sausage
- Jalapeños
- Grape tomatoes
- Cilantro
Fajita pasta
This one is a twist on California Pizza Kitchen’s Chicken Tequila Fettuccine. If you want to keep it healthier you could omit the heavy cream. Which is a reasonable thing to do on a Tuesday. Grab the recipe here.
Key ingredients:
- Chicken breast
- Red/green/yellow peppers
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Jalapeños
Spicy tomato pasta
When the temperature drops, heat things up in the kitchen! Try this spicy tomato pasta with chili flakes and sausage then huddle up under some blankets. Stay warm with this recipe.
Key ingredients:
- Crushed tomatoes
- Chili flakes
- Sausage
- Onion
- Red wine
Mushroom, spinach, and artichoke pasta
It's dip in dinner form! This creamy pasta will come together in less than 30 minutes. Get it done here.
Key ingredients
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Artichokes
- Garlic
- Parmesan cheese
One-pot lasagna
No strict layering laws here -- just throw everything in the pot, gently spoon in some ricotta, top with mozzarella, and bake. Try it out here.
Key ingredients:
- Ground beef
- Mozzarella
- Ricotta
- Tomato sauce (jarred or homemade)
- Basil
Cheesy pasta and sausage
Creamy tomato-basil pasta sauce cooks up right into the pasta in just 20 minutes. Recipe here!
Key ingredients:
- Sausage
- Basil
- Grape tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese
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Dara Pollak is a freelance writer and recipe creator. She likes her pasta with a side of bacon. Follow her at @theskinnypignyc.