Trying out a new recipe... One Pot Pasta

Tonight I decided to try a recipe I saw on a FB link.  It had no actual name, but it looked too good to be true.  I'm calling it 'One Pot Pasta' for the sake of this conversation.  Basically, you take a bunch of goodness, toss it in a pot and VOILA!, dinner is served.  I got my ingredients together and got started!

Here are the instructions word for word, from the post/link I found... 


Pasta, Tomatoes, Veggie Broth, Olive Oil, and Seasonings (details below)

Throw it all in the pot, INCLUDING the uncooked Pasta, and cook! - Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. The starch leaches out of the pasta and makes a rich, warm sauce for the noodles. The other ingredients cook right along with the pasta

Ingredients

12 ounces pasta (I used Linguine)
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid ( I used zesty red pepper flavor)
1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and NOT low sodium)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:
Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.  Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired .  Season to taste with salt and pepper , stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.




Their website before and after photo is here, in the big, cool, side-handled pot.  Looks tasty!

Mine didn't come out as tasty, or tasty looking.  I changed a couple of things... I used gluten & wheat free spaghetti (not 'white' linguine), I used low-sodium veggie broth (as she specifically instructed against), and I didn't have fresh basil, using Italian Seasoning to balance out for both the oregano & basil.

 I don't think my minor changes should have made too big of a difference, but I can't confirm that until I make this again with 'real' pasta, which I hate.  And with 'full-sodium' broth, which I will not use.  Soooo, here are my before and after photos...


So, not terrible, but not great... and not great tasting either.  Using only broth as the cooking liquid as instructed made for a weird tasting sauce.  Kind of bland, but I'll take some responsibility for that since I opted for low-sodium.  It thickened up quite a bit from the starch from the cooked pasta, but really was lacking in any specific taste.  The kick from the red pepper was there, but just blah; not enhanced or married to anything else.  The amount of tomatoes (or lack of veggies) was not enough for the amount of pasta given or for my taste... nor was the garlic, but that's just me.

I ended up broiling a piece of salmon to split with the hubby,, and a piece of naughty, cheesy garlic toast to balance out the bland-ish meal.  The wine didn't hurt either...Seven Deadly Zins... one of our FAVS!!

Over all, I did not like this recipe, BUT I will use it again.  Why you ask??  Because it's a GREAT idea that just needs a little tweaking to my personal standards.  A little less broth, a little water... some spinach &  mushrooms... maybe some shrimp added towards the end... and a whole lot of seasonings to jazz things up!!

Next time I make this I'll be sure to post the pics, the comments, and exactly what I used to make it more delish :)  Until then, wish me lots of luck and imagination for the leftovers, lol.

Peas Out...