One-Pot “Anything Goes” Pasta in Tomato Sauce

Adapted from RecipeTin Eats

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1lb / 500g ground beef
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cups / 200g dried pasta
• 28oz / 800g chopped tomatoes
• 10oz / 300ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp dried herbs (we use a mix of oregano and parsley)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 broccoli, about 3 cups chopped
• 1 bird’s eye chili
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Optional: 1 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion is translucent and fragrant.
3. Add ground beef and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Mix well and cook for about a minute.
4. Then mix in bell peppers and cook for another minute or so.
5. Add chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, dried herbs, garlic powder and mix well.
6. Once liquid starts bubbling, stir in pasta. Place lid on and set the timer to the cooking time required for your pasta.
7. About 1 to 2 minutes before the timer is up, remove the lid and give pasta a stir. Then add in broccoli and chili and mix well. Keep the lid off.
8. Once the timer is up, cook for an additional 4 minutes with lid off or until both pasta and broccoli have softened and liquid is reduced.
9. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Notes:

To make vegan, substitute ground beef with a can of chickpeas and add it in at Step 6. Omit cheese and top with crispy baked tofu cubes. Do not leave leftovers in the pot as residual heat will overcook the pasta so transfer into a container immediately. Leftovers can be kept in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.