I’m a huge fan of one-pot meals. I’m not sure if the reason is fewer dishes to wash or the fact that I own only 4 pots and 2 pans. I cook normal meals, lunches that have many different side dishes, and complicated meals that take ages to prepare, but one of my favorite meals is one-pot meals.

Saturdays are usually days when I’m struggling to choose what I’ll cook for lunch. I usually cook a big Sunday lunch, Mondays and Tuesdays are reserved for stews, Wednesday is usually rice day, Thursdays and Friday are stew and ragu days, and Saturday is a day when I have no idea what to cook. I usually cook something that will be eaten completely, without any leftovers, since Sunday lunch is special. I don’t like to waste food, and that’s why Saturdays are usually one-pot meals.

One of my favorite one-pot meals is one-pot pasta. I cook this all year round. During the summer I use my fresh garden vegetables, during winter I use my frozen veggies and in spring I use leftover vegetables and bought ingredients. I usually buy canned sliced tomatoes, and corn. The canned vegetables are made out of vegetables produced on local Croatian farms and are of very good quality. Of course, no vegetables can be as delicious as the ones that are grown in our garden, but out of season, this is an acceptable choice.

The usual ingredients in my pasta are tomatoes, zucchinis, peppers, and mushrooms. Depending on the season I add cauliflower, leeks, carrots, and any other available vegetable. When it comes to pasta, I use what I have at home.

No matter the veggies, I always cook the one-pot pasta the same way. I start with frying the onions and carrots, once the onions turn to gold I add sliced peppers and celery. Once the vegetables are fried I add frozen mushrooms inside, turn down the heat and place a lid on the pot. I always use frozen mushrooms. Even if the mushrooms have been collected by ourselves I still freeze them first. Frozen mushrooms will release enough water in the pot, and I don’t need to add any water. I let them cook for 5 minutes, and after I remove the lid, I add sliced zucchinis and corn. Zucchinis don’t need a long time to cook, and canned corn is already cooked, that’s why they are the last vegetables I add.

After 5 minutes more of cooking, I add sliced tomatoes, tomato puree, dried tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes depending on the season. Usually, there’s no need for any water during cooking, and there’s enough water in the pot, but if the sliced tomatoes are very meaty I add a bit of water, just enough to be able to cook the pasta.

Once the vegetable mix starts boiling I add uncooked pasta. This time I used spaghetti, but any pasta works for me. I prefer rigatoni pasta, but when I don’t have any, I cook with whatever I grab first. After adding the pasta, the lid is placed back on top, and I cook it for another 5 minutes.

Before the pasta is cooked completely I add spices, usually, salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, chives, and parsley, and that’s pretty much it. I turn off the heat and place the lid back on. The pasta will cook completely in the warmth of the pot, and the sauce will thicken when the pasta drinks all the water.

Once-pot pasta is a quickly finished meal which is always great no matter what I put inside the pot. My hubby loves one-pot pasta and usually, the whole pot is gone before the evening.