One Pot Pasta with Pesto

There are few things sweeter than recipe instructions that begin with "Combine all ingredients...". That's my kind of dish! In this case, long strands of pasta are cooked WITH the rest of the flavorful ingredients - tangy tomato sauce, zesty basil pesto, wholesome broth, and fiery red pepper flakes. As the pasta cooks, the noodles absorb ALL the goodness of the other ingredients. Why on earth have we been boiling pasta in water all this time??

About the pasta: I used angel hair which cooks in about 4 to 5 minutes. If you choose a thicker pasta, like spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine, read the label - those noodles typically take 10 to 11 minutes.

About the pot: You can pretty much use any pot you have - just make sure it's big enough to give the pasta strands room to separate and spread out (so they don't stick together). If you're using a large skillet - make sure it has high sides so you don't have a complete mess on your hands.

One Pot Pasta with Pesto

1 pound long noodles of choice, such as angel hair, spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine
15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth, or water, plus more if needed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Chopped green onions for serving, optional

In a large saucepan or high-sided skillet, combine all the ingredients but the cheese and green onions. Make sure the pasta is covered with the liquid ingredients.
Set the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes for angel hair and 10 to 11 minutes for thicker pastas like spaghetti, linguine and fettuccine, stirring OFTEN (a large fork or tongs work best), and adding more broth or water if the mixture seems too thick before the pasta is tender. If you have too much liquid at the end of the cooking time, let the pasta simmer for another minute or two, until the liquid is absorbed.
Remove the pan from the heat and top with the parmesan cheese and green onions if using.

Serves 4