Name: 30 Minute One-Pan Pasta Dinner (Vegetarian)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons olive oil; ½ cup chopped onion; 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced); 2 cups grape tomatoes; 2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided); 1 teaspoon pepper (divided); ½ cup dry white wine (like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc); 4 cups dry rigatoni pasta (can use fusilli or cavatappi); 3 cups chicken broth (or more (see note below)); 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme (finely chopped); 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter; fresh grated parmesan cheese; crushed red pepper (optional); fresh basil (optional)

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A delicious, quick pasta dinner that’s no-stress? Coming right up! This simple one-pan pasta is ready 35 minutes or less and cooks up fast in a skillet on the stove. Perfectly cooked noodles (recipe uses rigatoni noodles, but fusilli or cavatappi work well, too!) are coated in a fresh grape tomato and garlic pasta sauce.

cast iron skillet with rigatoni, tomatoes, parmesan cheese on a dark background

A while back —so far back it was pre-Pinterest or smart phones —I came across a one pot pasta recipe from the Queen, Martha Stewart (I know she's not everyone's cup of tea, but you can't deny she knows her stuff).

I shoved said recipe into a big accordion file where it sat but never quite left my mind because I knew you'd love it as much as me. The real Josie and Nina might reject the idea of a pasta cooked directly in sauce; but they'd certainly love the fact that it's an amazing 30 minute meal idea!

And such an easy pasta dinner idea for your family!

A novel way to cook pasta

Let it sink in: dried pasta simmers in a big pan of fresh tomatoes, broth, wine and seasonings for about 30 minutes or so.

Easy, right?

But let's be honest...boiling water and cooking pasta in it and spooning over some sauce is also really easy! Perfect example? This Lemon and Garlic Bucatini. Simple!

cast iron skillet filled with raw rigatoni, white onion, heads of garlic, fresh thyme and grape tomatoes and a small skillet of broth

So why should we want to cook dried pasta in sauce?

Big Flavor. Pasta absorbs so much flavor when cooked right in the sauce. And this sauce is just built from tomato, onion, garlic and thyme.
Authentic. When I say authentic, I don't mean the technique but the resulting rich deliciousness tastes like you've cooked it for hours.
Time. While making pasta isn't a big time sucker, making the sauce can be. So making a skillet pasta saves time.
Easy clean-up. One pan, one utensil. Easy clean-up. You'll be on the couch, pasta bowl in hand, watching the next episode of whatever show you're bingeing in no time!

Speaking of cooking the pasta, let's get down to shapes and sizes.

Best types of pasta for a one pot pasta recipe

Rigatoni is a great choice for easy one pan pasta meals because it cooks al dente (which means to the tooth in Italian) and will stay that way while absorbing all the great flavors.

Other pasta shapes that work are:

shells
cavatappi - my favorite is this one by DeCecco.
fusilli

What kind of pan do I need?

Any wide skillet with high sides and a lid will work but the key here is higher sides to accomodate for all the liquid needed to cook the pasta.

Here are some options:

Lodge Large Cast Iron Skillet. This is what I'm using.
All Clad Essentials Pan. One of my all time favs.
The Always Pan by One Place. Has a huge cult following.
Rachael Ray Create Delicious Hard Anodized Deep Skillet

Choosing your tomatoes

fresh garden tomato on a white background with loose basil leaves and more tomatoes in a white basket

Recipes with fresh tomatoes have a rusticity and Italian authenticity. But that doesn't mean you can't use canned tomatoes (my favorite are San Marzano)!

Any tomato you have on hand will work for this pasta recipe.

Step by step instructions

Assemble all of your ingredients and let's make a one pan pasta!

cast iron skillet with onions and garlic being sauteed — 1

cast iron skillet with cooked tomatoes, onions and garlic and a wooden spatula — 1

Saute onions over low heat for about five minutes adding garlic at the end (1).
Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes until they burst (2).

chicken stock and wine being poured into cast iron skillet filled with raw pasta and tomatoes — 3

cast iron skillet filled with uncooked rigatoni, chicken broth and grape tomatoes — 3

Top with pasta (3) and enough chicken broth to cover the pasta (4). Put a lid on the whole thing and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the pasta is al dente and has absorbed most of the liquid. Add some butter right at the end to bring it all together.

Pro Tip

Adding a pat of butter at the end of cooking a pasta sauce
brings richness to a dish like nothing else!

Make Ahead, Storing, Freezing

Make ahead / reheating

Best made before serving but I get that when the craving hits, it hits.

Make the dish earlier in the day without the parmesan.
Right before serving, put the pasta in the pan on the stove.
Add a little broth to loosen things up and heat.
Top with parmesan cheese.

Storing

Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any) in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Freezing

This dish is best enjoyed and made all in the same day. I haven't tried freezing it but if you end up doing it, please let me know how it works for you!

Made this recipe?

I'd love it if you'd share your review and leave a star rating and comment!

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📖 Recipe

woman in a red shirt cutting pizza smiling.

About Lori Murphy

Lori has over 30 years in the food industry as a marketing strategist, culinary instructor and chef for three kids with discerning palates. As the chief content creator at Josie + Nina, Lori is dedicated to helping home cooks create food memories through fresh ingredients and Italian flavors.