Easy One-Pot Pasta Recipes to Make for Dinner Tonight These recipes make clean-up a breeze. Close Credit: Christina Holmes One-pot meals may seem like just another internet food trend, but they've been around since the invention of pots, and we expect that they're here to stay. This simple, clever method of cooking means you're able to get dinner on the table with the least amount of collateral (dish) damage possible, which has made them a favorite among our editors and readers. It's important to understand the seemingly magical way that one-pot pastas manage to taste so great: it all comes down to the water. For a while now it has been an open secret of chefs and Italian grandmothers that ladling in a bit of starchy pasta water at the end of cooking a traditional pasta will make it better. This special starchy water can add body to a thin tomato sauce, or even become the actual sauce when a little butter and cheese is added at the same time. Skillet pastas take this idea even further, making it the key ingredient from the very beginning. Whether you decide to go tomato-based or cheese, the end result of a one-pot pasta will be a flavorful forkful of perfectly sauced and seasoned noodles. Keep this in mind as you make the wonderful recipes in this collection. 01 of 13 Brothy Orzo and Pork Meatballs Credit: Ryan Liebe Here, meatballs are turned into the perfect springtime protein. Ground pork is mixed together with fennel seed and Parmesan (instead of the usual bread crumbs) then rolled into meatballs and cooked in a lemony orzo pasta that's flavored with dill. View Recipe 02 of 13 One-Pan Pasta Credit: Maxwell Cozzi This is the one that started it all. But before this recipe went viral, its method was discovered in the Puglia region of Italy, where a member of the decorvow test kitchen watched in amazement as a chef placed all of the ingredients for this pasta—including the dried spaghetti—into a skillet with a fraction of the water it usually takes. Fifteen minutes later, they were given a bowl of perfectly al dente pasta enrobed in a creamy sauce of its own making; the rest is history! View Recipe 03 of 13 Cheater's Mac and Cheese Credit: Con Poulos Some days call for a meal that soothes as much as it satisfies. On those nights call on this 20-minute mac-and-cheese cheat that cooks pasta and broccoli in one pot. Cream cheese, butter, Parmesan and some pasta water make a decadent sauce. View Recipe 04 of 13 Skillet Shrimp and Orzo Credit: Hector Sanchez Simmering the orzo in a garlic-laden broth along with sweet cherry tomatoes and briny shrimp infuses every noodle with bold and bright flavors. View Recipe 05 of 13 Three-Cheese Skillet Lasagna When you want a plate of comforting lasagna, then think of this one-skillet recipe as your fast pass to getting there as quickly as possible. Made with a triple dose of cheese—mozzarella, ricotta, and pecorino—and a simple garlicky tomato sauce, it's sure to be your new go-to. View Recipe 06 of 13 One-Pan Orecchiette With Chickpeas and Olives Credit: Alpha Smoot Toothsome orecchiette is simmered with bold Mediterranean ingredients like olives and rosemary for a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner. Chickpeas play well with the other textures in this dish and add a little extra protein, too. View Recipe 07 of 13 Pasta Alfredo With Lemon and Asparagus Credit: Ngoc Minh Ngo Create a silky, buttery sauce with egg yolks and Parmesan cheese. The rest of the dish is simple: A bright, light blend of linguine, asparagus, and lemon zest come together to create the ultimate springtime entrée. View Recipe 08 of 13 Shrimp Scampi With Yellow Squash "Noodles" Credit: Armando Rafael This one goes out to all the zoodle fans out there. In this recipe, summery yellow squashes are turned into silky strands of "pasta" and sautéed with shrimp, garlic, chili flakes, and lemon. View Recipe 09 of 13 Greek Chicken One-Pan Pasta Credit: Yunhee Kim A recipe like this bright and lemony chicken pasta is the perfect choice when you want a balanced bowl for dinner. You don't have to start from scratch, either—there are instructions if you'd rather use cooked chicken instead. View Recipe 10 of 13 Tomato-Eggplant Gnocchi Credit: Ren Fuller When temperatures climb in the summer, the goal is to spend as little time as possible in the hot kitchen—that includes cleanup, too. This skillet dinner can be made in about 30 minutes and uses a bounty of seasonal produce like eggplant and tomatoes. View Recipe 11 of 13 One-Pot Pasta With Broccoli and Lemon Credit: Bryan Gardner This one-pot pasta keeps it simple with a pared-down ingredient list and method that boils the pasta and broccoli in the same pot. Staggering their time in the water ensures both come out perfectly cooked. View Recipe 12 of 13 One-Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta Credit: Armando Rafael We like this lighter take on classic tuna noodle casserole that uses the creamy, starchy simmering sauce to bind together fresh ingredients including asparagus and arugula with oil-packed tuna and pasta. View Recipe 13 of 13 Lemony Pasta With Goat Cheese and Spinach Credit: Con Poulos You don't need much to make a delicious sauce. Case in point? This recipe uses nothing but goat cheese and a little bit of lemon zest to coat this spinach-and-walnut studded pasta. It's bright, creamy, nutty, and delicious. View Recipe Explore more: Food & Cooking Recipes Main Dish Recipes One-Pot Recipes