This easy one pot garden tomato spaghetti is quick and easy to make and it only requires one pot for the whole meal! The spaghetti noodles are actually cooked along with the sauce so they absorb all of the delicious flavors from the sauce into the pasta. The whole meal only takes about 25 minutes prep to finish so it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner that everyone will love!
This recipe works great with fresh garden tomatoes but can also be made with canned tomatoes if you don’t have any fresh tomatoes on hand. Leave the juice from the can when measuring out canned tomatoes.
Every year I plant a variety of tomatoes in my garden, from cherry reds and yellows, a myriad of heirlooms and traditional juicy reds. So I am always looking for ways to use up my abounding tomatoes. This recipe works great with all varieties and it such an easy way to use up garden tomatoes.
This one pot meal only takes about 25 minutes to make, prep to finish and the end result is a drool-worthy dinner that’s bursting with flavor! I like to serve mine with a side salad and some crispy garlic bread.
My kids and family love this recipe which is always a win in any mom’s book! All my moms out there trying to nutritiously feed your kiddos know the feeling when your kids gobble up a plate of food without complaint and tell you it’s delicious!
This dish is simplistic and straight forward so kids won’t question all the ingredients and turn their nose up at it. If your child is scared of anything green then a helpful tip for introducing basil is to have them smell or taste it before you cook, I usually grow it in my garden or kitchen window so I will have my kids help pick it for dinner prep. I find introducing my kids to the raw form of the food helps them eat it when it’s dinner time. I also explain that this pasta dish has all of the ingredients of a cheese pizza and that is definitely a selling point to my kids too.
The fresh mozzarella pearls add fun and delicious cheesy nuggets into every few bites and they will keep you digging in to find more. I also love how the fresh basil in this recipe that really brings everything to life! Of course the Parmesan cheese makes everything better, always.
What you need to make this easy one pot garden tomato spaghetti:
Serves 6
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion – minced
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic – roughly 6-7 cloves
- ~2 pounds or 3 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes – if using canned tomatoes, include the juice when measuring.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil – roughly chopped or chiffonade cut if you want to get fancy.
- 16 ounces spaghetti pasta
- 5 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice – white vinegar will work too
- 2/3 cups Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces mozzarella pearls or fresh mozzarella – torn or chopped
Instructions
- In a large 12 inch skillet add olive oil, yellow onion and garlic and saute until onion softened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes, salt, sugar and basil.
- Stir for 2 minutes while tomatoes start to cook down.
- Add pasta to the skillet along with water and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a low rolling boil and cook for 12-14 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid pasta sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Once pasta is cooked, add in lemon juice and stir as you simmer out any extra liquid so the noodles are bathed in a light sauce.
- Sprinkle tops with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella pearls.
- If using a oven proof skillet, place under the broiler for 3 minutes or until cheese melts or if you don’t want to broil the cheese, you can cover the skillet with a lid and the mozzarella will melt into the hot pasta in a few minutes.
- Stir well and enjoy!
Here are a few other recipes you may love that use garden tomatoes:
- Italian Rice Stuffed Tomatoes RECIPE HERE
- Fried Green Tomatoes RECIPE HERE
- Tomato and Basil Gnocchi RECIPE HERE
- Minestrone Soup RECIPE HERE
- Smoked Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo RECIPE HERE
One Pot Garden Tomato Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion minced
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic roughly 6-7 garlic cloves
- 3 1/2 cups or ~2 pounds tomatoes If using canned tomatoes include the juice when measuring.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil – roughly chopped or chiffonade cut if you want to get fancy.
- 16 ounces spaghetti pasta
- 5 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice white vinegar will work too
- 2/3 cups Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces mozzarella pearls or fresh mozzarella – torn or chopped into bite size pieces
Instructions
- In a large 12 inch skillet add olive oil, yellow onion and garlic and saute until onion softened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes, salt, sugar and basil.
- Stir for 2 minutes while tomatoes start to cook down.
- Add pasta to the skillet along with water and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a low rolling boil and cook for 12-14 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid pasta sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Once pasta is cooked, add in lemon juice and stir as you simmer out any extra liquid so the noodles are bathed in a light sauce.
- Sprinkle tops with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella pearls.
- If using a oven proof skillet, place under the broiler for 3 minutes or until cheese melts or if you don’t want to broil the cheese, you can cover the skillet with a lid and the mozzarella will melt into the hot pasta in a few minutes.
- Stir well and enjoy!