Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Healthy one pot Asian pasta

Get a complete, good-for-you dinner on the table in 10 minutes with this one pot Asian pasta. Weeknight dinnertime just got easier -- and healthier!

One pot Asian pasta -- healthy dinner in 10 minutes!


Have you tried my one pot tomato basil pasta? Somehow I bet you have, as it's the most popular recipe on this site. Seriously popular: 126,000-people's-eyeballs-looking-at-it popular. (Squeeeeeeee!)

That means I don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that you love you some quick-and-easy weeknight meals. With pasta.

Well, guess what? ME, TOO!

Which is why I've come up with another one-pot pasta for you. As with the one pot tomato basil pasta, it's ridiculously easy and comes together in one pot in 10 minutes. Yes! Ten minutes to dinner, plus leftovers for lunch.

And this one pot Asian pasta is healthy, too, loaded with good-for-you veg like peppers, carrots, mushrooms and bok choy. Plus, the pasta is whole wheat (feel free to opt for a gluten-free pasta if that's your jam). With or without chicken, it's a healthy, complete dinner that I know your entire family will love.

And it's ready in 10 freakin' minutes, people!!

No lie. If you haven't yet tried one of these one-pot wonder pastas, you're going to go cray cray over this. You simply throw all the ingredients into one large pot, bring it to a boil, stir like a maniac and then -- WHAM! -- dinner is complete.

What could be easier?


One pot Asian pasta -- healthy dinner in 10 minutes!


I've used my favorite go-to condiment -- fish sauce -- plus soy and ginger in this one-pot pasta to give it a nice Asian-inspired flavor that's not too sweet and not too spicy. It's definitely kid-friendly, so if you like more heat, feel free to increase the amount of red pepper flakes or top it with a healthy squirt of Sriracha before serving.

As you can see from the photos, I like to use my enameled cast iron Dutch oven for these pasta recipes but any pot large enough to accommodate the ingredients will work. And if you've got a pasta server on hand, it's the best tool to use for all that muscle-building stirring and tossing.

Truth time: Have you tried my one pot tomato basil pasta? And are you now psyched to try this healthy one pot Asian pasta? Leave a comment: The Ninj wants to know (I really do!).

One pot Asian pasta -- healthy dinner in 10 minutes!

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all my healthy, easy weeknight dinner recipes!

Healthy One Pot Asian Pasta

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup shredded carrots
8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 13.25-ounce box whole wheat spaghetti
2 cups water
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cups thinly sliced bok choy (leaves and stems)

Directions:
In a large pot or Dutch oven, whisk together the first five ingredients, then add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the bok choy. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook the mixture, tossing continually with tongs or a pasta server, for about 8 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Remove from the heat and stir in the bok choy.


www.yankeekitchenninja.com
-- print recipe --

33 comments:

  1. Can i substitute the fish sauce with something else? By the way...ur so funny! Love your humor and i'm so glad i found u!

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    1. So glad you found me, too, Fadia! Yes, for the 3 tablespoons fish sauce you can substitute 1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce OR chicken broth PLUS another 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce. Enjoy!

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  2. Turned out perfect! I recommend everybody to try this...cant wait to try ur one pot tomato basil pasta!

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    1. Sweet! Thanks for the great feedback, Fadia -- enjoy the tomato basil one, too!

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  3. Such a flavorful, quick and easy recipe on the menu today! Amazing dish Julianne. I'm so glad I found you too. :)

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  4. Sounds excellent, thanks! I'm all about one pot.

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    1. I know, right? ONE POT, ONE POT, ONE POT!!!!! :-)

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  5. Looking forward to trying this. How many servings does it make?

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    1. Hi Elissa! The recipe calls for a full box of pasta, so you can base your serving size on that. We tend to eat larger portions, so it was about 6 for us. Let me know how you enjoy it!

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  6. Will it work substituting fresh spinach for the bok choy? What a great recipe--thanks!

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    1. You betcha, Mary Ann -- just add it at the end so it doesn't get overcooked!

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  7. Is cabbage a good substitute for the bok choy? Would I still put it in at the end, or cook it with the rest of the dish? Love your site!

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    1. Cabbage would be fine, Kristie -- but add it in at the end, like the bok choy, so it doesn't get too mushy. Happy you're enjoying the site -- come back often!

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  8. Sounds like a good recipe, I intend to try it. However, you mention in your description: "I've used my favorite go-to condiment -- fish sauce -- plus soy and ginger..." yet, I don't see ginger anywhere in the ingredient list. How much do you use, and is it fresh or powdered?

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    1. Oh dear, my bad -- I've added it to the ingredient list now (2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh). Thanks for your diligence -- enjoy!

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  9. Would this work with other pasta shapes?

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    1. I have never tried it with any short shapes but it would probably work fine.

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  10. Also - is it supposed to be more like a soup or a pasta dish when finished? Thanks!

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    1. Definitely pasta (as is indicated by the name) -- NOT a soup!

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    2. Great - thanks! That's what I was hoping! Going to try it tonight but using half of the amounts called for and a few small modifications. Hope my 2.5 year old super picky eater likes it!

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  11. Im serving this tonight for 6 adults. Should I double the recipe?

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    1. If you're serving restaurant-style portions / have guests with large appetites / want availability for seconds or leftovers, you probably should. ENJOY!

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  12. I really really wanted to love this but it came out totally gummy and almost inedible. I altered a few of the ingredients because I can't eat garlic and onions and I know my 2.5-year old wouldn;t eat the peppers and mushrooms so I left those out, used a quinoa pasta and then added cooked broccoli and carrots at the end - but it was just not good. Help! Any advice? Thanks!

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    1. Quinoa pasta cooks a bit differently (check the time on the box) so you'd need to adjust the cook time accordingly. Plus you changed most of the ingredients and how you added them from the directions -- part of the reason you include the vegetables from the beginning is to ensure there's enough liquid to cook the pasta so that it WON'T be gummy (onions, peppers and mushrooms, all of which you omitted, give off a LOT of liquid when cooked). So I'm not quite sure how I can help you, Allegra -- perhaps adding another cup of liquid and using regular pasta?

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  13. Yum, Julianne! I'm a little late to the game and haven't tried any one pot pastas like this. Love Asian food, so I'm definitely trying this. Looks fantastic!!

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    1. They're SO handy when you really are pressed for time. Give one of 'em a try, Bill!

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  14. Can't wait to get this. Is the chicken put in raw?

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    1. Yep, the chicken goes into the pot raw, Heather. Enjoy!

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  15. Sooooooo good!!!!! And my husband loved it also BONUS!!!!
    Mel :)

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  16. Have you tried substituting either regular pasta or one of the ones like Barilla plus? I was wondering if the liquid needs to be adjusted if you don't use whole wheat pasta.

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    1. You can use regular pasta -- no need to adjust the liquid.

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