One-Pan Pasta Risottata With Zucchini Recipe
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
One-pan pasta recipes are a sure-fire way to enjoy a homemade pasta meal without the fuss of a sink full of dishes. Meghan Markle made waves when she debuted a spaghetti, fresh tomato, and greens recipe cooked in a single pan on her Netflix series "With Love, Meghan." Purists may insist that pasta be cooked in abundant salted water and that sauce ingredients be properly sauteed; still, the technique has attracted many fans who love the convenience and the results.
While Markle's technique may seem novel, one-pan pasta already exists in Italy, although not in the way you might think. Pasta risottata refers to pasta cooked risotto-style — that is, directly in broth. It combines the creamy starchiness of risotto with the faster cooking times of pasta.
Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for a one-pan pasta risottata, featuring zucchini and carrot, that's creamy, savory, and quick. While in risotto the broth is often kept heated on low on a separate burner and added a ladleful at a time, this recipe adds the broth all at once to keep the recipe to one pan. Sprinkle some minced fresh sage right before serving as a finishing touch to this delicious, easy-to-make dish.
Gather your one-pan pasta risottata ingredients
For this recipe, you will need extra virgin olive oil, onion, carrot, zucchini, salt, and pepper. The recipe calls for penne pasta, but you can substitute other short pasta shapes if desired. Finally, have vegetable broth and fresh sage leaves on hand.
Step 2: Saute the onion and carrot
Add the onion and carrot and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Add the zucchini
Add the zucchini, salt, and pepper and saute for 7-8 minutes until softened, deglazing the pan with a little broth if needed.
Step 4: Add the pasta
Add the pasta and stir for about 30 seconds to mix well and allow it to take on flavor.
Step 5: Pour in the broth
Pour in the broth and raise the heat to bring the liquid to a boil. As soon as it boils lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
Step 6: Simmer until al dente
Simmer, stirring often, for about 11-12 minutes or until the pasta is tender and creamy and most of the broth has evaporated. The time may vary depending on the pasta brand.
Step 7: Mince the sage
When the pasta is almost finished, mince the sage.
Step 8: Stir in the sage
Remove the pasta from the heat and stir in the freshly minced sage. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
Step 9: Serve the one-pan pasta risottata
Serve immediately.
What to serve with pasta risottata
One-Pan Pasta Risottata With Zucchini Recipe
Pasta risottata is the best of both worlds, combining the ease of cooking pasta with the starchy creaminess of risotto. This version only requires one pan.
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 7 ounces penne pasta
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 large sage leaves
Directions
- Heat the oil in a wide skillet on medium.
- Add the onion and carrot and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, salt, and pepper and saute for 7-8 minutes until softened, deglazing the pan with a little broth if needed.
- Add the pasta and stir for about 30 seconds to mix well and allow it to take on flavor.
- Pour in the broth and raise the heat to bring the liquid to a boil. As soon as it boils lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer, stirring often, for about 11-12 minutes or until the pasta is tender and creamy and most of the broth has evaporated. The time may vary depending on the pasta brand.
- When the pasta is almost finished, mince the sage.
- Remove the pasta from the heat and stir in the freshly minced sage. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 440 |
| Total Fat | 5.5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.9 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 82.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.9 g |
| Total Sugars | 7.4 g |
| Sodium | 145.5 mg |
| Protein | 14.8 g |
How is pasta risottata different from risotto?
After cooking pasta most of the way in boiling water, Italian chefs will often add it to a sauce — and a ladleful of the starchy pasta water — to cook for the final few minutes. This method allows the pasta and sauce to meld, and the result is much creamier. The same thinking is behind pasta risottata, a unique Italian pasta dish that's cooked in the style of risotto. Broth is added either a ladleful at time or all at once to the pan with the pasta. Since the starch from the pasta is kept in the pan as the pasta simmers and absorbs the broth, the results are extra creamy.
When making perfectly creamy risotto, you can't add all the broth at once, because creaminess is created through slow simmering and stirring. Pasta cooks faster than rice, and the cooking time should be the same as the normal pasta cooking time if you start counting once the broth comes to a simmer. This recipe doesn't call for wine, which risotto normally uses, as it's poured over sauteed onions and left to cook and evaporate for a minute before adding the rice and toasting it. Finally, risotto must be made with certain types of rice, while any short pasta (except gigantic shapes, perhaps) will work in pasta risottata.
How can I customize pasta risottata?
This recipe calls for penne pasta, but most of the many short pasta shapes can be used. Concave or hollow pasta shapes like shells or tubetti work very well because they capture more of the creamy liquid in every bite. Similarly, pasta shapes with "rigati" or "rigate" in their name have lines or ridges on them which hold onto more sauce. While the recipe calls for vegetable broth, you can use salted hot water if needed.
Pasta risottata is naturally creamy since the pasta releases starches in the broth. As long as you stop cooking it while there is still some unabsorbed broth in the pan, you'll have a little creamy liquid to scoop up with each mouthful of pasta. There is a way to make it creamier, however: After you sautee the vegetables, remove at least half of them, blend them, and put them back in the pan before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. You can make the recipe with extra zucchini if desired to add more volume to the pureed vegetables.
For even more creaminess and richness, try stirring in a little grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese at the end, as soon as the pan is taken off the heat.