The secret to the silkiest pasta sauces is not oil, cheese or even copious amounts of butter and cream. It’s the starchy water the pasta cooks in, which, when added back to the pan after draining, binds and melds the ingredients during their final simmer.
Mark Bittman shows us how to harness that starchiness in his creamy one-pot pasta with chicken and mushrooms. Its velvety texture comes from cooking the pasta like a risotto, gradually adding broth and wine and stirring often to release its starch. Mark builds the sauce around a solid foundation of sautéed mushrooms and chicken thighs, but you do you: Use peas and shrimp; olives, onions and sausage; baby spinach and goat cheese. Once you have the technique down there’s plenty of room for cravings and creativity.
(Watch this space for more easy meals with easy cleanup. Today’s featured recipe kicks off our new One Pot, Once a Week feature highlighting a one-pot or one-pan recipe. And for more one-and-done inspiration, you can always browse our collection of one-pot recipes here.)
Featured Recipe
Creamy One-Pot Pasta With Chicken and Mushrooms
In her vegan kale-pesto pasta, Ali Slagle uses the more traditional method of boiling the pasta in a large pot of salted water. But there’s a smart twist: Before adding the linguine to the salted water, she uses it to simmer basil, cashews and kale (stems and all), which she then scoops out and blends with garlic and lemon to form a fluffy bright-green sauce. Once the pasta is al dente, it’s returned to the pot to simmer with the sauce and, of course, a splash of starchy cooking water for thickening. Serve it as is or boost it with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast or some grated vegan cheese.
