I made Martha Stewart's One-Pan Pasta

The website where the original recipe was posted is linked below - here's my take on how it went and some tips to help you along the way!

I was intrigued by this recipe because while pasta is probably one of the easiest things on the planet to cook, I was never a fan of all of the dishes that it required me to haul out, use, and then clean. Pots and pans and strainers, oh my!

I was a little weary going into this due to the mixed reviews on the website. Also, because I've tried making pasta sauce this way before with dire results - but I must've left something out those other times, because this sauce was extremely fresh tasting and absolutely BURSTING with flavour.

The recipe calls for grape tomatoes, but I used cocktail tomatoes which worked gorgeously. Also, I substituted the sliced onion with sliced shallot which did not disappoint!

The Prep - Tips

• Convert your measurements! This may sound tedious, but it really doesn't take long to do. Since this recipe requires the perfect water to pasta ratio in order to both cook the pasta and get the thickness of the sauce right, they key really is in the measurements. I actually did this as an afterthought and was shocked to find that the package of linguine that I was about to use was actually twice the amount that the recipe calls for! So I doubled the recipe, and it worked wonderfully.

• Don't be shy with the tomatoes. Forget what I just said about the measurements! Well, as far as the tomatoes are concerned at least. I went for it and added a few more tomatoes than the recipe called for and did NOT regret it. I wasn't lying when I said that the pasta was bursting with flavour!

• Don't be afraid of the water. Since I doubled this recipe I was weary of adding double the amount of water for fear of having a watery sauce, so I added just a little bit less than double the amount. Don't be like me. I actually ended up needing to add more water during the cooking process - pasta absorbs more than you think!

Make sure that your pasta lies flat in your pot or pan like this:

Cooking - Tips

• Stir constantly. Unlike with regular pasta, the limited amount of liquid makes it a bit more difficult to cook evenly, so it does require constant attention while on the stove. You will want to "flip" the pasta as you're stirring it

• Use Tongs. As the recipe suggests, tongs are the best tool to flip and stir the pasta to make sure it gets cooked evenly.

• Don't cover the pasta. Never cover any pasta when boiling it on the stove! It will become mushy.

• Remove from heat while it is Al Dente. Don't be like me. I made the mistake of waiting until the pasta was cooked exactly how I like to serve it, only to remove it from the heat and have it continue to cook in the simmering sauce before it was cool enough to serve. The pasta was a tad bit overcooked, but that's my own fault and not Martha's. I should have listened to her instead of letting the pasta cook for those additional 2 minutes!

If you're wondering where those meatballs came from, no, you didn't miss a step in the recipe. My boyfriend just gets depressed when dinner is meat-less.

Serving - Tips

• Parmesan is a must!

• Top with leftover fresh herbs. Not necessary, but it makes for a beautiful and flavourful garnish.

• Invest in some truffle oil! Again, not necessary, but soooo good drizzled on top of this (or any) pasta! I know, it's expensive and bougie but trust me it's worth it. I've been rocking the same tin of white truffle oil for well over a year now, and it's probably the best $26 I've ever spent. A tiny bit goes a long way due to the bold and unmistakable flavour, and it's an easy way to make so many dishes just a little bit more sophisticated.

Now, go forth and conquer!

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