Nothing evokes spring like pasta primavera—it's light, fresh, and chock-full of vegetables—exactly what I want to be eating as soon as the last dregs of winter melt away. It's also super quick and easy, so naturally it seemed like the perfect addition to my roster of22-Minute Meals.
I was recently inspired by Anna Jones's recipe forMagic One-Pot Spaghetti, which uses just the right amount of water to cook all the components and create a pasta-coating sauce (that's the magic) without having to drain the spaghetti or use a separate pan. I thought I could try that pasta cooking hack here, too. Plus Epi's editorDavid Tamarkinclued me into a similar#wastelesspasta trick when he wrote aboutcooking pasta in sauce instead of wateras a great way for home cooks to help fight the water shortage problem.
I decided to eschew the traditional large pot of salted water for cooking my pasta and try boiling it in precisely the right amount of water instead. To make this magic happen for yourself, all you need is a large, wide-bottomed pot or wide, straight-sided pan and a timer to orchestrate the addition of ingredients so everything is ready at the same time. Here's how to make one-pot pasta primavera in 22 minutes or less:
0:00-3:00 Add the First Ingredients to the Pot
你会有一点时间准备好大部分是edients while you wait for the water to come to a boil, so all you need to do first is slice the garlic. Add it to the pot with your pasta of choice, salt, pepper, and 3 1/2 cups hot water. (I tested different amounts of water and 3 1/2 cups was enough to cook the pasta and other ingredients evenly, but still reduce to a nice, starchy, ready-to-serve sauce.) Cover the pot and bring it to a boil.
3:00-8:00 Boil the Pasta and Prep the Vegetables
Since you're using less water than the usual pasta recipe calls for, it will come to a boil pretty quickly—in about five minutes. While you wait, trim the green beans if necessary and slice the tomatoes in half.
8:00-15:00 Add the First Round of Vegetables
As soon as the water comes to a boil, drop the pasta and set your timer according to the directions on the package (most short pastas need about eleven or twelve minutes). Cook it uncovered until five minutes remain, then stir in the green beans and frozen broccoli. Cover the pot to help the broccoli defrost more quickly and the water to return to a boil. Meanwhile, zest the lemon, grate the Parmesan, and chop the basil.
15:00-18:00 Add the Second Round of Vegetables and Shrimp
When two minutes remain on the timer, stir in the shrimp, tomatoes, peas, and butter. The tomatoes will break down a little here, imparting their acidity and flavor to the cooking liquid. Cover and continue to cook two minutes to make sure the shrimp cooks evenly (if the liquid starts to dry out at any point, add another 1/2 cup water). Uncover the pot and cook, stirring, until the pasta is tender, and the shrimp are cooked through, about a minute more. You know the trick of adding a little pasta water to thicken a sauce? Well the same idea is in play here, too—except you added it in the beginning. By this point, the water you originally added to the pot has reduced down to a flavorful, starchy sauce, and that's all you need.
18:00-22:00 Add the Finishing Touches and Serve It Up!
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and Parmesan and toss to coat, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the one-pot pasta primavera among four plates and top with basil, more Parm, and red pepper flakes if you want a little heat.
