Cooking for one is not always so easy. Most recipes have you make a huge vat of food that you must eat all week, so I prefer to create my own solo dishes. If you’re craving a spicy yet comforting pasta dish, this one is a winner! I love packing as many veggies as possible into every meal, so this dish is mostly veggies, with smaller portions of pasta and beans. I’ve purchased a spicy pre-made tomato sauce from Waitrose, but you can use any store-bought or homemade tomato sauce in this recipe.
A pro tip with cooking pasta for one is to measure out your ingredients. I buy tortellini for this dish and immediately break down the package into individual portions that I can store in my freezer.
I like to have my pasta portion of the dish be no more than 100-150 calories. However, feel free to portion based on your appetite and calorie needs. For the rest of the dish, I aim for about 1 cup of veggies and 1/3 cup of beans for protein. In this dish, I’ve used a veggie mix of peas, corn, carrots, broccoli, and chickpeas for the beans. However, in another version that I’ll share photos of here, I’ve used squash, edamame, and peas. Feel free to mix it up based on your veggie preferences, pare down or increase the portions as needed.
Here is the formal recipe – keep it in mind for the next time you’re looking to use up items in your fridge. It can be easily increased to serve more people!
My Favorite Easy Pasta Dish For One
- Ingredients:
1/2 cup of tortellini, your favorite flavor (I just divide up that package to a 100-150 calorie portion) - 1 cup of veggies, your favorite mix (I love peas, corn, carrots, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, edamame)
- 1/2 cup (or more!) of your favorite tomato sauce
- Salt, pepper, garlic to taste
- Sprinkle of mozzarella or parmesan cheese (optional) – I didn’t add it here, but you could!
If you have to cook or roast any veggies, start here. This recipe is super fast with leftovers, but you can also cook veggies specifically for the occasion.
Then, bring your tortellini to a boil. If using frozen veggies like peas, pop them in with the pasta, as both cook in a flash. When the tortellini rises to the top, it’s done!
Put your pasta and veggies into a deep frying pan or a sauce pan.
Layer in your favorite tomato sauce and warm all of the ingredients together. Season as needed with extra salt, pepper, garlic, and cheese.
Once the pasta, veggies, and beans are sufficiently warm, carefully spoon them into a bowl.
….and you’re ready to enjoy! Buon Appetito!
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