If you love pasta and are looking for an easy weeknight recipe, you'll love this roundup of vegan and vegetarian one-pot pastas!
One-pot and one-pan pastas are a busy cook's dream meal. The pasta cooks in the same pan as the rest of the recipe ingredients, cutting down on dishes and clean-up time.
Making one-pot pastas is simple. The pasta is typically cooked in broth, water, or sauce and is combined with veggies, proteins, and all kinds of delicious add-ins.
In this roundup I'm including not only my favorite no-drain pasta recipes from Cozy Peach Kitchen, but also a handful of favorites from other food blogs. The recipes are divided up into vegetarian and vegan categories.
Keep reading for frequently asked questions and more tips on how to cook one pot pastas.
📋 Cooking tips
- Cook time: Pasta cooking time varies based on type of pasta shape. Because most one-pot pastas cook in simmering water instead of boiling water, they take longer to cook through than regular pasta recipes. Unless advised otherwise in a recipe, check the pasta a few times while cooking to avoid overcooking the pasta.
- Bring liquid to a boil first: Always bring the cooking liquid to a rapid simmer or boil before adding pasta, unless a recipe states otherwise. This prevents the pasta from overcooking.
- Salting the water: Because pasta water isn't drained in one-pot pastas, I don't recommend adding as much salt as you usually do when cooking pasta on its own. Adjust salt to taste, especially if using a salty vegetable broth or marinara sauce.
- Add enough liquid: Although liquid amount in one-pot pastas varies form recipe to recipe, a good rule of thumb is to add enough liquid to cover the pasta while it is cooking.
💭 Recipe FAQ
One problem that readers often run into with one-pot pastas is a broth-y pasta. In my recipes, this can be solved by simmering the pasta uncovered over medium-high heat. This evaporates the cooking liquid.
The longer the pasta is simmered at medium-high heat, the more liquid will evaporate. Be aware that this will continue to cook the pasta.
If following a recipe, I recommend using whichever pasta is recommended by the author.
This depends on the recipe. Most of my one pot pasta recipes are cooked with the lid on to prevent too much liquid from evaporating during the cooking process.
This varies depending on the type of pan being used and the type of sauce desired. For a thick sauce, I typically recommend adding just enough liquid to cover the pasta.
For a thinner sauce, I typically add about an inch of liquid above the pasta.
A tall-walled skillet, also known as a sauté pan, is the ideal piece of equipment for one-pot pastas because it allows liquid to evaporate quickly. A Dutch oven or medium stock pot can also be used to cook one-pot pastas.
Keep in mind that it takes longer to evaporate liquid when using large stock pots.
20 Vegetarian One Pot Pastas
Choose from a creative range of one-pot, one-pan, and one-dish vegetarian and vegan pastas. Most of these recipes are ready in less than 30 minutes and feature minimal ingredients.
Vegetarian One-Pot Pastas
These pasta recipes are meatless but may feature dairy or egg products.
This ultra-creamy mushroom orzo is made in just one pot in 30 minutes! It's packed with flavor from capers and pesto and is perfect for easy weeknight meals.
Vegetarian chili mac is a classic comfort food recipe that has been on of the most popular recipes on Cozy Peach Kitchen for years. This recipe is great for weeknight dinners and is super easy to make!
Have you tried viral baked feta pasta trend yet? This creamy pasta features feta cheese and cherry tomatoes baked together into a simple yet elegant sauce that is bursting with flavor.
This meaty vegetarian pasta features Impossible meat and simple ingredients like store bought marinara sauce.
This vegetarian One Pot Veggie Pasta is easy to make and filled with healthy ingredients! It's gluten free and made with broccoli and zucchini.
This rich and creamy pasta made with mushrooms, tortellini, and spinach is ready in just 30 minutes.
This vegetarian pasta is baked in just one casserole dish using only 5 main ingredients! It's perfect for entertaining or as a quick dinner idea.
For a fuss-free vegetarian lasagna, try this One Pan Vegetable Skillet Lasagna. Everything is cooked in one pan, including the noodles!
This protein-packed vegetarian pasta is made with kale, broccoli, and orecchiette pasta.
Making pasta in the Instant Pot is easy with this Instant Pot Pasta Primavera. This recipe is filled with light and refreshing seasonal vegetables and is ready in under 30 minutes.
Vegan One-Pot Pastas
These pasta recipes are made with dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan ingredients or are written to include vegan options.
This spicy vegan pasta is made in one pot in less than 30 minutes using cashew cream and vegan sausage! It's perfect for weeknight meals and makes great leftovers.
This sun-dried tomato pasta features a super silky and creamy sauce and it's ready in under 30 minutes! This recipe is a great nut-free option.
This vegan tomato orzo is ready in just 30 minutes. It's flavorful, satisfying and perfect for busy weeknight meals!
This One Pot Creamy Vegan Pasta Primavera is a quick and easy recipe! This pasta is ready in just 30 minutes and a favorite family dinner.
This flavorful recipe features a Thai-style peanut sauce and is ready in under 30 minutes.
Check out this one-pot penne pasta for a creamy tomato-based option.
This One-Pot Miso Pasta with Mushrooms is so creamy with coconut milk to keep it vegan, easy to make in just one pot, and so flavorful!
This vegan spinach artichoke pasta uses cashew cream and lemon zest to make a rich and zesty dairy-free cream sauce inspired by spinach artichoke dip.
Alyssa
I am loving these recipes!
Cassidy Reeser
So happy to hear that! 🙂