Basic 1-pot pasta...

I bring my lunch to work. It's cost-effective, allows me to make nutritious decisions about my meals, and (being vegan) prevents me from having to do the "menu challenge" (i.e. wondering if I can have a restaurant eliminate a cheese or meat from a dish to "veganize" it for me).

Until I became vegan, I was never that interested in cooking. My standard line when asked was "the only thing I knew how to make was reservations!" Now that I am vegan, I find that I truly enjoy cooking - perhaps because I am eating foods that I love!

However, even though I have fun preparing meals, I just don't have the time to make a different meal every day. So I am always searching for food inspiration - something that I can stretch into fabulous leftovers. Recently the SigO and I have become a bit obsessed with the ultra-cool Jamie Oliver. We've rented a bunch of his videos and cookbooks from the library, and followed his Instagram posts as the pictures just look so delicious! (Note: He has a few accounts, my link only takes you to one, but definitely search for his others!)

I noticed that many meals he cooked use fresh simple ingredients like lemons, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a few wonderful vegetables or fruits for color and flavor. Plus, on one of his video series, he never seems to have any fancy kitchenware with him in his travels - just a knife, cutting board, and a pot! 

So I was inspired to create my "1-pot pasta" recipe following the same principles... Jamie, this one's for you!

Basic 1-pot pasta (inspired by Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients:

• 1 box of fusilli whole wheat pasta (make sure it says whole wheat as the primary ingredient for some tasty goodness)
• half a bag of baby spinach (4oz, 6oz, 8oz all work fine in this recipe depending on how much spinach you like - I recommend using extra!)
• half a pint of chopped cherry tomatoes
• 8oz of chopped button mushrooms
• Olive oil
• Juice of 1 big lemon (fresh)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Bring 1 large pot of salted water to boil. While the water is heating up, chop the tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach and set aside in a bowl.  Cook the pasta in the salted water according to package directions. (Don't overcook as you don't want mushy pasta in your leftovers!) Drain the pasta and leave in the colander for a moment.

Using the same pot you cooked the pasta in, add a small splash of olive oil and turn the heat to medium, or medium low heat (depending on your particular stove's quirks). 

Throw in the spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes. (NOTE: You don't want the spinach to get soggy so err on the side of undercooked if necessary. It might be best to put the mushrooms and tomatoes in for 2 minutes and then throw the spinach in just before you go on to the next step.) 

Pour the pasta on top of the mixture, BUT don't mix it all up yet! :) While the mixture is cooking still under the pasta, quickly squeeze the lemon over the pasta, and add salt and pepper to your taste. 

Finally mix up all the ingredients, turn the stove off, and your meal is ready!

This meal is meant to be quick and easy, but there is no reason it should be boring if you end up making it frequently. So here are some suggestions to the basic recipe.

Suggestions for Variations:

• Big lemon fan? Consider zesting the lemon peal right over the pasta after juicing it, but before mixing it.
• Feeling a little Asian fusion? Instead of spinach, chop up a huge batch of cilantro and grate some ginger into the mix. Consider subbing out the lemon with a lime instead...If you don't have allergies to nuts, some finely chopped roasted peanuts are the ultimate finish!
• Wanting to add salty goodness without simply adding more salt? Mince some kalamata olives right into the original recipe. 
• Do you need a little juicy crunch with your pasta? Dice up some fresh baby sweet peppers (I like the multi-color packs in the store) and add them after the lemon juice step, but before mixing it all together.
• Need a heartier version? After cooking the pasta, but before adding the other ingredients to the pot, sauté some onions, garlic and walnuts, then add the rest of the ingredients.
• Craving some spice? Dice up jalapeños or other hot peppers into the mix. Consider switching out the tomatoes with some diced mango for a sweet and spicy treat. (Or if like me you love both tomatoes and mangoes, keep both in the recipe!)

I would love to hear other ideas for jazzing up this basic recipe. So please feel free to share!

May this 1-pot wonder allow you to cook meals quickly...with smiles!