This easy one-pot tomato olive pasta is a quick and delicious dinner that only takes 20 minutes to cook! It’s perfect for dinner any day of the week!
Salty olives, sweet tomatoes, garlic, onion and chilli all come together to create a light and delicious one-pot dinner with minimal washing up. And what could be better than minimal washing up?
It’s even naturally vegan providing your stock and pasta are vegan-friendly!
What do I need to make this easy one-pot pasta?
There are no weird or wonderful ingredients needed for this tomato olive pasta. In fact, there’s a good chance that you already have most of the ingredients!
- 1 red onion – you can use yellow onion here, but I just adore the flavour of red onions!
- 1 bell pepper – red works best, but yellow or orange are also delicious here.
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced – if you’re in a real hurry then the pre-minced sort works absolutely fine.
- 250 grams of baby plum tomatoes, halved – any small tomatoes work well here. I just adore baby plum tomatoes – they’re so sweet and juicy!
- A good mix of olives – green and black olives both work well. If you don’t like olives then you can leave them out, but I have to say that the recipe just isn’t the same without them.
- A handful of fresh parsley – again, you could skip this if you don’t have any, but who doesn’t like parsley? Unless you’re planning on using another herb like basil, of course in which case I completely understand just using one of the two!
- Enough pasta for 4 people. I used mini shells, but any fairly short pasta works well. You could choose another shape such as penne, macaroni or corkscrews – or even spaghetti! Shells work well to hold the chunky sauce though so do be aware that not all pasta is equal in this recipe!
- 1 red chilli – this is optional so feel free to leave it out if you prefer milder food.
- 800ml of vegetable stock. You can add more if you prefer softer pasta or like a wetter sauce though.
- Salt and pepper, to season to taste. Bear in mind that the olives are already salty so do be careful not to be too heavy-handed with the salt.
And that’s all! See? Nothing unusual at all and it’s very easy to substitute ingredients to make your own version of this easy one-pot pasta. It’s definitely a good recipe to keep in your back pocket for busy evenings when the fridge looks a little empty!
How do I make this tomato olive pasta?
There are literally 3 steps to this recipe – I know I said that this recipe was easy, but it’s truly ridiculously easy. You just:
- Add all ingredients except the stock to a saucepan.
- Cover the ingredients with the stock, cover the pan and set it on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Serve straight away and enjoy!
Honestly, it’s so easy that you won’t even need to glance at the recipe twice while cooking – and you’ll certainly never forget how to make it (especially once you’ve tasted how delicious it is!).
How can I customise this one-pot tomato olive pasta?
I’d personally recommend any combinations of these:
- Add a touch of lemon juice and zest for freshness
- Add a pinch of chilli flakes for extra heat – either instead of or as well as the red chilli pepper
- Use extra veggies like finely chopped aubergine, courgette or carrot – or even peas! Mushrooms could work very well too.
- Add chopped fresh basil leaves or use it instead of parsley
- Add some cooked protein about 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked – I’d recommend diced cooked chicken (it’s a great way to use up leftovers!). In this case, you might want to use chicken stock as well. You could even try adding crumbled cooked bacon!
- Add cheese! More specifically, grated parmesan cheese. It’s great for sprinkling on top of the pasta as you serve it.
Or really anything else that you think of! Simple recipes like this are a good base for developing your own version that suits your tastes and preferences.
Quick & Easy One-Pot Tomato Olive Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1 pepper chopped
- 2 garlic gloves finely chopped
- 250 g baby/plum tomatoes cut in half
- a mix of olives
- 1 handful fresh parsley lightly chopped
- Enough pasta for 4 people approximately 200g according to the packet
- 1 red chilli optional and to taste
- 800 ml vegetable stock add more if you want it more juicy
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the pan.
- Cover the ingredients with the stock and pop on a medium heat with the lid on for 20 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.
- Serve straight away and enjoy!
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
New kitchen gadget alert
For this tomato olive pasta, I used my brand new Stellar draining casserole dish. It is my new must-use kitchen gadget and it is the most versatile pan. I use it for everything from poached eggs and pasta sauces to and boiling vegetables to one-pot roast chicken.
The expert design has drainage holes in the side of the lid which makes very easy to pour out without having to get out a colander which also helps reduce washing up and that can only ever be a good thing.It also makes cooking pasta or potatoes extra easy as there is enough space for steam to be let out so it doesn’t boil over.
The lined handles are a great quirk which makes serving and moving the pan so much easier as they stay cool, reducing the need oven gloves to pick it up. Check out the full range of Stellar cookware.
I’ve used the pan for cooking slow roast pork as it is oven safe up to 180ºC. A shoulder of pork in the pan with some cider and stock and cook at 140 for 5 hours. Delicious.
How beautiful does this pot look!
Disclaimer. I was given the Stellar Staycool Casserole Dish to try out. All opinions and recipe are my own.
Other dinners you might enjoy
Easy Toad in the Hole
Easy Puff Pastry Chorizo & Butternut Squash Tart
Easy Fresh Tomato Puff Pastry Tart with Mozzarella
Vietnamese steak lettuce wraps
Slow Cooked Venison Sausage Casserole
Easy Slow Cooker Lamb Stew
View all my sweet treat recipes.
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This looks very tasty, and the pot looks practical!
It was very tasty. I’d definitely recommend it 🙂
This is just the kind of recipe I need at the moment. Easy and not much washing up. Love the summery flavours too.
not too much washing up is always a bonus
What a genius recipe, I really must try this, ticks all the boxes:-)
Aww thank you <3 that is so kind
I’ve still not tried a one pot pasta recipe, but I really need to give it a go. I’m all for tasty with minimal effort!
I’d really recommend it. So quick and easy and that always is a blessing sometimes.