If you’re Italian, you may want to look away now – this one pot spaghetti recipe isn’t exactly the traditional Italian way of cooking. But if like me, you’re less concerned with authenticity, and more concerned with making quick and tasty dinners, this one pot spaghetti alla puttanesca is the recipe for you!

These one pot pasta recipes have been doing the rounds for a while now. The idea is, you add everything to the pot, let it simmer for a little while, and there’s your dinner. Yep, everything is added to the pot in one go – even the raw pasta. It cooks right there in the sauce, meaning it absorbs loads of flavour, and gets really tasty. The starch from the pasta helps to thicken up the sauce, and makes everything nice and silky.

This is my first attempt at one of these one pot spaghetti recipes, but I am a complete and utter 100% convert. So, so easy! I was a bit concerned about how it would turn out – boiled onions, really? – but it works really well.

Rather than sticking to a plain old tomato pasta, I decided to go for spaghetti alla puttanesca. The name literally means something along the lines of ‘spaghetti in the style of a prostitute’ in Italian, but let’s not dwell on that fact too much, since… well, it’s a bit weird.

Instead, just know that this is a really tasty dish, with all the most amazing Italian flavours – onions, garlic, black olives, capers, and some crushed chillies for heat. It’s spicy, it’s saucy (in all senses of the word), it’s salty, it’s rich and tomatoey… and it’s seriously easy to make.

Spaghetti alla puttanesca often contains anchovies (so be aware of that if you ever order it at a restaurant), but my version is completely vegan. Of course, if you sprinkle your plateful with grated cheese, which I’m sure you can guess is what I did the second I put my camera down, it’s less vegan… but both ways are absolutely delicious.

Enjoy!

Print One pot spaghetti alla puttanesca Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 15 mins Total Time 20 mins Recipe Type: Main meal Servings : 2 Author : Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche Ingredients 200 g spaghetti (~ 7 oz)

400 ml good quality passata (~ 1 2/3 cups)

400 ml water (~ 1 2/3 cups)

2 tbsp capers

3 tbsp sliced black olives

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp crushed chillies (adjust to taste)

Black pepper

Fresh parsley, to serve

Vegetarian parmesan-style cheese, to serve (optional) Instructions Add all of the ingredients (except for the fresh parsley and optional cheese) to a large saucepan, and place over a medium-high heat - you'll need to gradually push the spaghetti into the liquid as it softens, or you can snap the spaghetti in half beforehand if you prefer. Bring to a simmer, and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, until the pasta is cooked and the sauce has reached your desired consistency. Serve topped with plenty of fresh parsley, and a little grated cheese if desired.

Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.

Here’s another crazy quick pasta dish – lemon and artichoke pasta, which only takes 15 minutes!