One-Pan Pasta

A dorm and wallet-friendly pasta recipe.

Story by Ellie Sabatino

Photos by Pearl Spurlock

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The beginning of the school year comes the challenge of finding meals to make that are delicious and friendly toward a college student’s budget. Whether it is made in avoidance of the dining halls or figuring out how to cook in an apartment for the first time, this simple one-pan pasta dish only requires basic ingredients, one pan and minimal prep.

Ingredients:

- Pasta of any type (amount measured with your heart)

- Spices: sea salt, oregano, garlic powder and pepper

- Olive oil

- Parmesan cheese (grate some if you desire to be fancy, but the shaker stuff works just fine)

- Fresh basil

- Cherry tomatoes

Steps:

1.       Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil in a large skillet.

2.       While waiting for the water to boil, chop your cherry tomatoes in half and rough chop your basil leaves. Set aside.

3.       Once the water reaches a boil, add in your pasta of choice and reduce the heat to avoid spillage. Cook until the water is mostly reduced, and the pasta is soft.

4.       If a large amount of water remains in the pan after the pasta is cooked, drain the excess water before proceeding to the next step.

5.       Reduce heat to medium-low.

6.       In the same skillet, begin lightly tossing the pasta after adding the tomatoes and basil. Toss until the basil is slightly wilted.

7.       Add in your spices and toss again (Measure with your heart! If you like a lot of garlic, this is your time to shine). Remove from the heat.

8.       Serve with a dash of olive oil and a sprinkle or handful of parmesan cheese and rejoice that you only have one dish to clean.