One Pot Meghan Markle Pasta

One-Pot Shrimp Pasta with Greens & Parmesan

Hours

This is the dinner we make when the fridge has half a bag of spinach, a lonely bunch of kale, and not much else — and it somehow still tastes like we planned it. Everything cooks in one pot, including the pasta itself, so cleanup is basically a pot and a colander. Adding shrimp turns it from a solid side dish into a full dinner, and it’s still endlessly flexible depending on what greens you’ve got on hand.

  • One Pot Meghan Markle Pasta
  • One Pot Pasta
  • One Pot Pasta

Ingredients

  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails off is easiest for kids)
  • 3–4 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
  • 3–4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
  • Water, just enough to cover the pasta
  • 1/2–1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • 4–5 cups greens — Swiss chard, arugula, and kale are the usual mix; spinach works fine as a swap when that’s what’s in the fridge
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Fresh basil, torn or sliced, for serving

Instructions

  1. Boil a pot of water separately (this is just for topping off the pot as it cooks — have it ready to go). I use my electric tea kettle.
  2. In a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic, spaghetti (broken in half if needed to fit), and tomatoes.
  3. Pour in just enough boiling water to cover the pasta. Cover and let it cook, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick together or scorch on the bottom.
  4. Once the pasta is nearly tender, remove the lid and keep cooking uncovered. This lets the liquid reduce down instead of staying watery.
  5. Add the crushed red pepper, shrimp, and greens, stirring them in so the greens wilt down and the shrimp cook through — this only takes a few minutes, so keep an eye on it. The shrimp are done as soon as they turn pink and opaque; don’t walk away or they’ll overcook and turn rubbery.
  6. Stir in the parmesan and keep cooking, uncovered, until everything comes together into a thickened, saucy consistency — add a splash more water if it’s drying out too fast, or keep cooking a bit longer if it’s too loose.
  7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Serve immediately, topped with fresh basil and extra grated parmesan.

Tips

  • Greens are flexible. Swiss chard, arugula, and kale are the go-to combo, but spinach is a fine stand-in when that’s what you have — use whatever needs to get used up.
  • Watch the water level, not the clock. Every stove and pot is a little different, so let the pasta’s texture (not a timer) tell you when to take the lid off.
  • Don’t skip the reduce-down step. Cooking uncovered at the end is what turns the extra water into a light, clingy sauce instead of a soupy bowl of pasta.
  • Don’t overcook the shrimp. They go from perfect to rubbery fast — pull the pot off heat as soon as they’re pink and opaque all the way through. One tip is to buy cooked shrimp and then run it under warm (not hot) water to get it to a good temperature and then just toss it in the warm pasta.
  • No shrimp on hand? This is just as good without it — that’s how the recipe started.