Have y’all tried the one-pot-pasta dishes you may have seen on Pinterest?  They’re awesome!  I’ve tried a couple before, and they’re super easy.  My least favorite aspect of normal pasta dishes is that you cook the pasta, and then you usually have to have another pan going to sauté veggies or meat or some kind of sauce to go with it.  I don’t need any help with adding more dirty dishes – Hubby already says that I use just about everything in the kitchen every night!

But, not only are these one-pot-wonders simple, they’re also fast.  I actually had another recipe on the menu tonight for Meatless Monday.  (We usually eat meatless a couple times a week, but I do love the concept of dedicating one night a week no matter what.  It also helps with menu-planning.)  However, I way underestimated my efficiency today.  I waited until Munchkin’s nap time today to menu plan, which meant that I had to wait until he woke up to do my grocery shopping.  (The one flaw in menu planning on Mondays!)  He took an earlier nap today, but it was still after 4 before were on our way to the store.  First stop, Trader Joe’s.  (We were out of red wine; major dilemma given Scandal’s season premiere on Thursday!!)  Now, I love Trader Joe’s, and the Buckhead location has done a good job of providing a better variety of produce, and bulk produce at that.  But, I usually cannot get away with doing a week’s worth of grocery shopping at a single store.  So, of course, there were a couple items that they didn’t have, and another stop was required.  By the time we got through with the Publix stop and got home, it was almost time to start cooking.  I checked the recipe and discovered that it called for at least an hour between prep and cook time.  So, a little menu switcheroo.  I checked Thursday’s recipe, and luckily, found that it was under 30-minutes all-in.  Score!

I managed to prepare and cook this recipe during an episode of Jeopardy!  (Jeopardy is a staple in our house 🙂 )  It would have taken even less time if I had opted for the pre-sliced white mushrooms instead of the whole cremini mushrooms.  The difference is minimal in cooked dishes, so I don’t know why I insisted on the cremini, other than the fact that Hubby much prefers portobellos.  All you do is throw everything into the pot, including the pasta; bring the water to a boil, and then, let it simmer.  This recipe has a cream-based sauce, so you add in the cream and cheese after the pot has cooked.  At first, the sauce was a little watery, but I let it continue to simmer while waiting on Hubby to get home, and it turned out perfectly!  The little bit of water was necessary to create the sauce, and the simmer time really let the flavors concentrate.

This recipe comes to you from Damn Delicious via Pinterest!  Don’t forget to add a little more freshly ground pepper and grated Parmesan to your plate! My notes are in red 🙂

One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (or any other mushroom variety)
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced and quartered (quartered, then sliced!)
• 2/3 cup peas (Frozen peas!)
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs thyme (Add as much as you like; I don’t think you can have too much!)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan (Plus a little extra for serving)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, combine spaghetti, mushrooms, zucchini, peas, garlic, thyme and 4 1/2 cups water; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and heavy cream.

(Continue to simmer until sauce is a thick consistency.)

One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta à la Damn Delicious

Bon appétit!