I think we can all agree that the worst part of making dinner is the end when you have to do the dishes. To combat this, home cooks have been developing one-pot wonders for decades. This makes it very easy to serve family-style meals in large quantities without having to use every pot and pan in the cabinet. Oftentimes, these meals contain pasta. But why?
Dry pasta (a.k.a. God's favorite carb) has to be hydrated in liquid, with the default being heavily salted water, followed by straining the pasta and reserving some of the starchy pasta water if you aren't a monster and adding it to whatever delicious fix-ins and sauces you've made. One-pot pasta dishes, however, rely on a heavily flavored sauce that has to be diluted so there is enough moisture for the pasta to absorb. The benefit of this is as the starches of the pasta release, the sauce thickens to a luxurious consistency and is nowhere near as watery as it was when it began. This means that pasta-water-based sauces (re: carbonara, Alfredo) or pasta-water-less sauces (re: pesto) are not optimal in this application. Marinara, vodka sauce, cream based sauces... these are all good choices for this method.
My take on the one-pot method comes from the desire to be even lazier. Instead of making my own sauce (which you most certainly could do and would get excellent results), my method hinges on the store-bought stuff. I know, I know. But need I remind you that I have a kid who is now almost 17 months old, so shortcuts are oftentimes necessary. The key is to find your favorite brand. I tend to gravitate toward brands that are less sweet and not overly salty. For me, this means Classico or Botticelli.
The addition of slowly steamed shrimp adds some protein to the dish, and studs of peas make this an all-in-one meal, since you are getting your vegetables in too. Feel free to customize as necessary; this is more about the method and less about the actual ingredients. Omit the pepper flakes if you're feeling milder. Swap out the shrimp for cooked chunks of chicken or ground pork. Replace the peas with any vegetable you're in the mood for. If you're going for a creamy sauce, skip on the tomato paste. Make it vegetarian or vegan if you feel like it! Laziness does not equal lack of creativity.
With a jar, a pan, and a dream,
~c.j.
LAZY SHRIMP ALLA VODKA
PREP TIME: 1 minutes
ACTIVE COOK TIME: 15 minutes
INACTIVE COOK TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL COOK TIME: 40 minutes
YIELD: 4 servings
Easily adaptable to be vegetarian/vegan
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 4.5 oz tube double concentrated tomato paste (omit if choosing to do a white cream sauce instead)
2 c. low sodium chicken stock (sub: vegetable stock, beef stock, mushroom stock, or water)
1 24 oz jar of vodka sauce (sub: any jarred sauce you like that is semi-water based, such as marinara or cream sauce)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
8 oz short pasta, such as rotini, rigatoni, fusilli, farfalle, penne, elbow, or ziti
1 c. frozen peas (sub: any other vegetable)*
1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined, tailed removed (sub: fully cooked chicken, beef, pork, or meat substitute... or omit entirely)
DIRECTIONS
In a very large sauce pan (12-inch recommended), heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and starting to go transluscent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly to coat the onions, until tomato paste darkens in color, about 4 minutes.
Deglaze with a splash of stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Add the remainder of the stock as well as the jarred sauce, stirring until homogenous. Bring the mixture to a steady simmer (consistent low bubbles, but not rapidly fast). Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary Add the pasta and stir to fully coat and submerge into the sauce, followed by the peas. Lay the shrimp overtop. Cover, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer until pasta is fully cooked, about 25 minutes.
Once fully cooked, uncover and give pasta a final stir to coat shrimp in sauce and to ensure nothing has stuck to the bottom of the pan (anything that may stick should release easily and not be burned). Serve and enjoy!
*COOK'S NOTE: I use peas here because the cook incredibly quickly and can be added directly from frozen. Most raw vegetables cut in small pieces will work here as well. If opting for dark leafy greens (such as kale, spinach, or collards), stir them in at the end until wilted.