Just One Pot!

I am a big fan of easy. I am a big fan of using fewer pots/dishes as well. This is a great recipe that is easy and only uses one pot! You don't even need to strain the pasta! This was one of those recipes that I just had to try out of curiosity. I changed a few things, so I am going to post the original recipe as well as the recipe that includes my changes.

One-Pot Creamy Spaghetti (original recipe)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground Italian sausage
3/4 lb. uncooked spaghetti
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained
1 box (32 oz) chicken broth or 1 box (32 oz) vegetable broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, if desired
Shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves, if desired.

Directions:

In an 8-quart stockpot, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain.

Add spaghetti, tomatoes, broth, cream, and pepper flakes; heat to boiling. Boil 15 to 20 minutes, turning pasta frequently with tongs or fork, until pasta is cooked and sauce is thick and creamy. Serve with remaining ingredients.

Serves 6

Source: Pillsbury website. You can find it here.

One-Pot Creamy (Or Not) Spaghetti (with my changes)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground Italian sausage (mild or hot depending on your preference)
1 lb. uncooked spaghetti
1 can crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream, optional
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves, if desired

Directions:

In 8-quart stockpot, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain.

Add crushed tomatoes, basil, broth, whipping cream (if using), and red pepper flakes. Heat to boiling. Add spaghetti. Once spaghetti is submerged, boil for 9-10 minutes, or until pasta is al dente, turning pasta frequently with tongs or fork, until pasta is cooked and sauce is thick and creamy. Serve topped with remaining ingredients, if desired.

Notes: I used mild Italian sausage so that this wouldn't be too spicy for my boys. It was just right for them this way, and they loved it.

I used 1 lb. of spaghetti rather than 3/4 pound because, who are we kidding? I am not going to take out 1/4 of the spaghetti noodles and either save them for later or throw them out. It just makes more servings with a whole pound of pasta! That's all! It doesn't mean more calories per serving, it just means more servings!

I couldn't find crushed tomatoes with basil at my store, so I got a can of plain crushed tomatoes and added 1 teaspoon of basil.

The first time I made this, I added the cream. I liked it, but I felt it would still be just as good without the cream. So, I decided to make it again. A few weeks later, I made this recipe again and omitted the cream. I was right. It was just as good without the cream. In my opinion, I actually liked it better without the cream.

I decided that the way to ensure al dente pasta (rather than mushy, overcooked pasta) would be to allow the liquid to boil, and then add the pasta...and then, of course, decrease the cooking time so that it wouldn't be overdone. Just watch the spaghetti and test it. You don't want the noodles underdone (crunchy) or overdone (mushy).

I really liked this. I love how flavorful it is, how few ingredients it uses, and that it is easy clean-up since there is only one pot.