One Pot Pasta: the easy, quick and balanced vanlife recipe
Tired of tins, ready meals and sandwiches? Cooking in a van or converted car is not always easy! You need to be able to find vanlife recipes that don't require too many ingredients to chill and, ideally, don't require too much preparation. Fortunately, we've found THE perfect vanlife recipe for your road trip: the one-pot pasta!
Why make a one-pot pasta as a vanlife recipe?
Perhaps you've already heard of one-pot pasta? It's a type of recipe that's been popular on social networks for several years now. Its advantage? Simplicity! And that's exactly what you're looking for when you're taking a trip in your van. The principle is simple: put all your ingredients in the same pan and cook them together. No need to cook your pasta first, drain it and prepare the filling on the side. With the one-pot pasta, you chop your vegetables, put them in the water with your pasta, wait quietly for it to cook and then you're ready to go! There's nothing more to do. You can see that this vanlife recipe will make your daily life in the converted car a whole lot easier. We're 100% behind it!
The benefits of one-pot pasta for cooking in a van or converted car
So you see, the first advantage of one-pot pasta is its simplicity. You don't need to be a Michelin-starred chef to prepare a good meal! What's more, once you've cut up the ingredients, there's nothing left to do. It really is a 15-minute meal, perfect for a quick bite before hitting the road.
The other big advantage of this vanlife recipe is that it requires very little water. Firstly, by using only a saucepan, you'll have less washing up to do. And to cook your meal, all you need is a little water, which you keep on your plate because, after simmering with your ingredients, it becomes the sauce for your dish. So you don't lose a drop of water during your meal! It's also practical, because all you need is a saucepan and a stove.
What we particularly like about the one-pot pasta is that you can make varied but balanced recipes. It's true, when you want to cook in vanlife, it can be tempting to opt for quick but fatty or bland dishes. With the one-pot pasta, you can cook vegetables very quickly and eat a balanced, complete and tasty meal. That's right, because let's not forget this dish's final trump card: it's super tasty!
Our vanlife recipe for One Pot Pasta
You'll see, our vanlife recipe for one-pot pasta is very easy to make. Here are the ingredients you'll need:
- 1 zucchini
- 1 spring onion
- Cherry tomatoes
- 2 spoonfuls pesto rosso,
- 80 g raw pasta
- 40 cl water
- Fresh basil
- Cheese (optional)
First, of course, you chop all your vegetables - the zucchini, spring onion and cherry tomatoes. Put them in the saucepan.
Then add your raw pasta, followed by the pesto rosso.
Now it's time to add the water. It's very important to use the right amount of water. If there's not enough, your pasta won't cook properly. If there's too much, your dish will be drowned in water and you'll end up with a bland dish.
And that's it! All you have to do is let it boil for 10 minutes.
Once ready, you pour the mixture into a plate with the cooking water, of course.
For an extra touch of indulgence, don't hesitate to add a few basil leaves and cheese such as Parmesan or mozzarella to your plate.
All that's left to do is enjoy your super dish in front of a magnificent spotlight.
Variants of the one pot pasta
The great thing about one-pot pasta on a road trip is that you can vary the recipe to your heart's content! Do you like it spicy? Why not opt for pasta with chorizo or spices? With chicken, beef, sausage, bacon or even meatless, with Italian, Indian, Asian or Spanish flavors, this is the dish that makes everyone agree. You can even adapt it to seasonal vegetables, opting for squash and mushrooms in autumn, or carrots, onions and why not fennel in spring. It's impossible not to love this vanlife recipe, as there's something for everyone!
Tired of pasta? You can also enjoy a change of starch. Risotto, for example, is an excellent alternative that requires little washing-up and doesn't waste water. You'll just need to allow a little extra cooking time. But you can also opt for a one-pot of quinoa, potato or gnocchi for maximum variety in your on-the-go cooking.
We've tested this vanlife recipe and it's been fully validated by our team. We can assure you right away that the pasta is well cooked! We bet you'll soon get the hang of cooking this quick and easy recipe on your road trip. In any case, we've totally adopted it! On that note, we wish you bon appétit!