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Super Easy One Pot Spicy Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta. Trust me, this is the pasta that everyone will beg you to make again and again. Shortcut pasta and spicy Italian seasoned chicken are cooked together to create a big pot of the most flavorful pasta! A couple of cans of tomatoes, basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese are mixed in to create a creamy, cheesy pasta. Serve each bowl of pasta with creamy burrata and fresh basil on top. Simple, but totally delicious!
It’s Friday night and we’re making pasta. A good one-pot pasta like today’s recipe is such a go-to dinner that I often make for my family. Sometimes, I’ll do something in a cream sauce. Other times, I like to go a more traditional route with a tomato basil style pasta.
Lately, I’ve been cooking with a lot of ground chicken or pork. It cooks up quickly, and I can easily season it with our favorite spice blends!
I use either ground chicken or pork to create a homemade Italian-style spicy chicken sausage. I LOVE making my own because I’m able to easily control the ingredients added. This means nothing weird, only the flavorings I know my family enjoys!
When my older brother recently requested a spicy Italian sausage dinner, I knew I could use the ground chicken in the fridge to create a delicious one-pot pasta!
I love a one-pot pasta! I’m not sure why this is, but for some reason, the idea of breaking out a separate pot just to boil off some pasta sounds so daunting to me. Does anyone else feel the same way?
Whenever I can make a one-pot meal, I do! Which is exactly what I did for today’s pasta. This is so easy to throw together and really delicious!
Let’s Jump Into The Details
Ingredients
- ground chicken, turkey, or pork – I use ground chicken or pork the most
- Italian seasoning – I’m challenging you to make your own blend, it’s so easy! I shared what I do below!
- smoked paprika
- crushed fennel seed
- onion powder
- chili flakes
- dry pasta – I love penne for this recipe
- crushed tomatoes – use an Italian-style tomato for the yummiest pasta
- basil pesto – this time of year, I usually use store-bought bought
- chopped up sun-dried tomatoes
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- fresh basil
- burrata cheese – make sure this is room temperature
Special Tools
You really just need a big dutch oven for this one-pot pasta.
Steps
Step 1: brown the meat
Start with the meat in a big dutch oven. Get it cooking, breaking up the ground meat as it cooks.
Mix in the Italian seasoning: paprika, fennel, and onion powder. Make sure to season well with salt, pepper, and chili flakes (to taste).
Step 2: add the tomatoes and pasta
Next, mix in the cans of tomatoes with a couple cups of water. Add the dry pasta and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Cook the dry pasta in the sauce until the pasta feels al dente.
Step 3: finish the pasta
Mix in the basil pesto, the sun-dried tomatoes, and a handful of fresh basil. Oh, and of course, lots of parmesan cheese!
Step 4: serve
You can divide the pasta between bowls and top each bowl with burrata cheese.
This dish is great on its own with a nice big salad. We all really loved this meal!
To Make Homemade Italian Seasoning
This is my blend! It’s so flavorful and much better than the store! You can also adapt it to your liking.
In a bowl, whisk together dried basil, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried parsley, dried thyme, dried sage, and dried rosemary.
You can add chili flakes to make it spicy! I usually do. Store in a sealed container. It will last a few months!
Looking for other one-pot recipes? Here are my favorites:
Easy One Pot Broccoli Cheese Pesto Pasta
French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make this Easy One Pot Spicy Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easy One Pot Spicy Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 538 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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1. In a large pot set over high heat, brown the meat, breaking it up as cooks. Add the Italian seasoning, paprika, chipotle, fennel, and onion powder. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Cook until the meat is cooked through and the spices are fragrant, 8-10 minutes. 2. Add the tomatoes and 2 big cups of water. Mix in the dry pasta and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Do not drain the water.4. Stir in the basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan. Stir until melted and creamy. Remove from the heat. Stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Break the burrata over the pasta and divide the pasta between bowls. Top with extra olive oil and black pepper. Enjoy!
Italian Seasoning: Mix 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 tablespoons onion powder, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 1 tablespoons dried parsley, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 2 teaspoons dried sage and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary. Add chili flakes to your taste to make it spicy! Store in a sealed container.
