Lemon Garlic Pasta – One Pot Dinner

Getting a simple, delicious dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes IS possible with this flavor forward lemon garlic rigatoni! 11 fresh, Spring-inspired ingredients come together for the ultimate one pot pasta dish!

How do I make One Pot Garlic Pasta?

You’ll start by sauteing onion and garlic in some olive oil. Then pour in wine and degalze, making sure you scrape all those yummy bits off the bottom of the pan.

Then add vegetable stock and half and half.

Add dried herbs along with the uncooked rigatoni

Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add Parmesan cheese and lemon zest.

Add asparagus and stir to combine.

Cook, covered for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Stir pasta frequently during this time so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Garnish with parsley, lemon wedges, burrata cheese and red pepper flakes.

Can I use a different kind of pasta other than rigatoni?

Yes! Any short cut of pasta will work – but make sure it’s sturdy enough to hold up to the creamy sauce. For example, orzo pasta or other small pastas are not ideal for this recipe.

Good substitutions for rigatoni:

• penne
• cavatappi
• campanelle
• rotini
• penne

Can you cook dry pasta in sauce?

You can and you will (in this recipe)! The beauty of this one pot pasta dish is that everything cooks all together. No need to boil the noodles separately or dirty extra dishes.

The veg stock and half and half will combine with the Parmesan cheese and the starch from the noodles to make a super creamy, lemony garlic sauce.

The addition of the lemon zest really helps to lighten up the dish and fresh asparagus keeps it veggie focused and satisfying.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST ONE POT PASTA:

• Shred your own Parmesan! If you have time, always buy the wedge and shred it yourself! It will taste much better than the pre-shredded stuff, and it’s usually cheaper too.
• It’s all about the cooking liquid. The cooking liquid is very important in this recipe as you’ll be cooking the rigatoni in it. It’s important to use use your judgement as far as adding more liquid towards the end of the cooking process. If it seems to be reducing too quickly and the pasta is not fully cooked yet, add another splash of half and half or veg stock so that the pasta can cook through.
• The sauce should be smooth and creamy. The best part of a one pot pasta is that you cook everything in one pot. Which will save you time and give you the creamiest pasta sauce ever. As mentioned above, you may need to adjust the liquid based on your personal preference. I like a real saucy pasta so that everything is fully coated in the creamy, dreamy sauce.

Other one pot wonders you’ll love:

• Sausage, Spinach & Sun Dried Tomato Rigatoni
• One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
• Mediterranean One Pot Pasta
• Sun Dried Tomato & Smoked Gouda Cavatappi

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? LEAVE A REVIEW!

If you made this recipe I’d love to hear how it turned out! Feel free to leave a rating and comment below. I love hearing from you guys and respond to each and every comment that I receive! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for the all latest recipes and a sneak peek at the behind the scenes adventures on Midwest Foodie!

Lemon Garlic Pasta – One Pot Dinner

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Midwest Foodie
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American/Italian

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Description

Getting a simple, delicious dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes IS possible with flavor forward lemon garlic one pot pasta!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups half and half
• 1.5 cups vegetable stock
• 8 oz. uncooked rigatoni
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
• zest of 1 lemon
• bundle of asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into 2″ pieces
• Kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper

For garnish: 

• fresh chopped parsley
• burrata cheese
• lemon wedges
• red pepper flakes

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Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion along with a large pinch of salt and pepper for cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. 
2. Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring frequently. 
3. Add white wine and deglaze the pan, making sure to scrape all the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan. 
4. Add veggie stock, half and half, uncooked rigatoni and dried thyme along with another pinch of salt and pepper. 
5. Stir to combine, turn up the heat and bring to a simmer. 
6. Simmer over medium low heat for 5 minutes. 
7. Stir in lemon zest and Parmesan cheese until the cheese is melted. 
8. Cover and simmer for another 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened. 
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
10. Garnish with parsley, burrata, lemon wedges and red pepper flakes. 

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Notes

Shred your own Parmesan. If you have time, always buy the wedge and shred it yourself! It will taste much better than the pre-shredded stuff and it’s usually cheaper.

It’s all about the cooking liquid. The cooking liquid is very important in this recipe as you’ll be cooking the rigatoni in it. It’s important to use use your judgement as far as adding more liquid towards the end of the cooking process. If it seems to be reducing too quickly and the pasta is not fully cooked yet, add another splash of half and half or veg stock so that the pasta can cook through.

The sauce should be smooth and creamy. The best part of a one pot pasta is that you cook everything in one pot. Which will save you time and give you the creamiest pasta sauce ever. As mentioned above, you may need to adjust the liquid based on your personal preference. I like a real saucy pasta so that everything is fully coated in the creamy, dreamy sauce.

Keywords: one pot pasta, lemon garlic pasta, cheese pasta, 30 minute pasta