This easy One-Pot Garlic & Tomato Spaghetti makes for a delicious vegetarian entrée all on its own, but also works wonderfully as a base to add in additional meat or vegetables! It has a spicy kick from the red pepper along with being nice and cheesy and of course, garlicky!
This simple spaghetti is ideal for meal prepping! You can store the leftovers in the refrigerator, adding in whatever sounds delicious to you each day that you reheat it.
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RECIPE VARIATIONS:
Add Extra Protein: This recipe would taste delicious with the addition of a protein such as chicken breast or chicken sausage!
Add Extra Veggies: If you’re wanting to add a little bit of extra color to this dish, additional veggies such as spinach or asparagus would be tasty complements.
Make It Extra Cheesy: Instead of adding additional parmesan to taste when serving, you could also add more directly into the pot if you like!
Adjust The Spiciness: If you’re not a huge fan of heat in your food, it’s super easy to reduce the spiciness of this meal! You can limit the red pepper flakes as much as feels safe to you, and remember that you can always add more to taste when you’re serving yourself!
Adjust The Garlic: This spaghetti is quite garlicky which I love, but if you want it to be a little more subtle, reduce it to your liking! (Contrarily, if you really love garlic, and/or you’re working with very small cloves, feel free to increase the garlic from 4 to 5 cloves.)
INGREDIENT NOTES:
Spaghetti: It’s the perfect pasta choice to deliver the flavors of this meal!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Unsalted Butter: These keep the pasta from sticking together, and also help to cook the tomatoes and garlic once they’re being tossed in!
Fresh Lemon Juice: The lemon juice is super subtle, but it adds a delicious freshness! I was able to get the 2 Tbsp of juice needed from 1 average-size lemon.
Garlic: This meal was made with garlic lovers in mind! Feel free to adjust to your preferences if you like.
Finely Grated Parmesan: The parmesan adds extra richness and flavor. To keep this lazy meal lazy, choose a parmesan at the store that has been pre-grated!
Cherry Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes bring so much flavor into this pasta! If your grocery store happens to carry them “on the vine”, they’re even more delicious and fragrant!
Red Pepper Flakes: I personally enjoy pasta that has a bit of a kick to it, but if you’re less into spicy flavor, feel free to reduce the red pepper as much as you want. (You can always add more to taste in your serving dish, so there’s no harm in playing it safe!) The main advantage to adding the red pepper into the pot, versus into the serving dish directly, is that it helps the pepper evenly cook into the other ingredients.
Dried Oregano & Black Pepper: These spices add in a bit of flavor dimension!
Salt: I used sea salt, ground fine/medium, but use what you like.
TO SERVE: Extra Parmesan & Fresh Basil: Give yourself a generous extra sprinkle of parmesan on top of each serving. It makes it so much more delicious and satisfying. Go heavy on the added basil on top too! It adds so much flavor.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Knife & Cutting Board
- Garlic Press (on a fine mince setting)
- 1 Large Pot (I used 5.25 Quarts)
- A Colander
Servings: Approx. 6-8
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Spaghetti
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 4 (or 5 if very small) Cloves Garlic, pressed (fine mince) (see recipe variations above)
- 1 1/4 Cups Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 22 oz Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 1 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tsp Salt (I use sea salt, ground fine/medium)
TO SERVE
- Generous Sprinkle Of Extra Parmesan, to taste
- Generous Sprinkle Of Fresh Basil, chopped, to taste
Directions:
PREP
Halve the tomatoes, juice the lemon, and press the garlic (then set aside)
COOK
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot according to the package instructions
Drain the pasta in a colander
Add the pasta back into the empty pot, and immediately begin stirring in the olive oil and butter to keep it from sticking
Stir in the lemon juice, garlic, and parmesan
Turn the heat back on to a low setting, and add in the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, oregano, black pepper, and salt, tossing as it all cooks together (The tomatoes may fall into the bottom of the pot as you toss, which works well for cooking them in the oil/butter and seasonings!)
Toss until any extra liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes are well-cooked, using a spaghetti server (or equivalent) to evenly combine the ingredients
SERVE
Serve with additional parmesan and fresh basil to taste
Enjoy!
[Store leftovers airtight in the refrigerator.]