One Pot to Rule Them All

I'm sure by now you've seeing the one pot pasta that's been floating all over pinterest. Like many I've been dying to make it, except wasn't sure that boy would be down with the whole tomatoes into. Thankfully Mix and Match Mama posted a version that's relatively tomato free, or at least wound be once I made a few substitutions, and I was finally able to experience just how awesome and easy these recipes are. (And yes, this is my second Mix and Match Mama recipe this week.)

One Pot Pasta with Mushrooms & Roasted Red Peppers
Ingredients
2 Red bell peppers (I used 1, but think it would probably be better with 2.)
1 onion, diced
Olive Oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
32 oz chicken stock
1/2 pound rotini
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions
1. Roast your peppers at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Remove and tent with foil to cool. Once cooled remove skin and seeds and cut into small strips. (You could instead use jarred roasted red pepper, but now that I know how easy it is to do myself, I'd much rather go all out.)
2. In a large pot, start cooking your onion in a dash of olive oil. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
3. Add your ground meat and cook through.
4. Add the mushroom to the pan and saute around 5 minutes. (At this point I got a little scared that there was no way this would all fit. But thankfully the mushrooms reduce while cooking and it all worked out.)
5. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and bring to a boil.
6. Mix in the pasta and red peppers. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
7. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
This dish convinced me that you can definitely cook pasta in one pot without boiling it first, and now am dying to try out more versions of it. The boy compared this this to beef-a-roni which I kind of understand, but maybe a more upscale version of it. Either way, if you haven't tried the magic of one pot pasta yet, I highly encourage you to try it out.

What's your experience with one pot pasta meals?

One Pot Pasta with Mushrooms & Roasted Red Peppers
Ingredients
2 Red bell peppers
1 onion, diced
Olive Oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
8 oz Baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3.5 oz Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
32 oz chicken stock
1/2 pound rotini
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions
1. Roast your peppers at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Remove and tent with foil to cool. Once cooled remove skin and seeds and cut into small strips.
2. In a large pot, start cooking your onion in a dash of olive oil. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
3. Add your ground meat and cook through.
4. Add the mushroom to the pan and saute around 5 minutes.
5. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and bring to a boil.
6. Mix in the pasta and red peppers. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
7. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.