one pot skillet protein pasta
This one-pot pasta is my take on Meghan Markle's skillet pasta from her show. I've made my own adaptations to add a bit more flavor and, of course, tons of protein! It packs 26 grams of protein into a 20-minute meal that even my toddler devoured (minus the greens - ha!).
Servings: 4
Calories: 360kcal
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes multicolored and on the vine preferred
- ¼ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 16.9 oz bone broth 1 kettle and fire box or about 2 cups
- ½ pound protein spaghetti noodles half a box (I use Barilla Protein; a fully gluten-free or chickpea-based pasta won’t work!)
- 1 lemon
- 2 cups Tuscan kale about 5 stalks, any bunch type of kale will work, just not prechopped
- ½ cup parmesan freshly shredded, measure with your heart
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium heat with 1 teaspoon olive oil. It should be wide, at least 12" wide. I like to use a braiser! Separate the stalks from the 2 cups Tuscan kale leaves and chop the stalks small and the leaves bite-sized. Cut the 12 oz cherry tomatoes in half.
- Saute the 4 garlic cloves, tomatoes, and kale stalks in the olive oil for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Meanwhile, remove the stalks from the kale and chop them up small. Save the leaves for later.
- Add the raw ½ pound protein spaghetti noodles to the center of the pan (break it apart as needed). I like to scoot the veggies to either side of the pan, making an opening in the center for the spaghetti noodles to sit. Zest the 1 lemon over the top of everything.
- Add the 16.9 oz bone broth to the pot. It should just cover the spaghetti noodles. Spread the spaghetti noodles to as much of a single layer as possible to avoid having to add more liquid. If the noodles aren’t just covered, add a little more water just so the noodles are covered.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Stir half way through just to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick.
- Stir in the kale leaves, squeeze the juice from the lemon into the pot, and top with freshly shredded ½ cup parmesan. Mix everything together. You should have a silky sauce that’s thickened. Continue stirring until the kale has wilted - it should only take 1-2 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.Serve with more parmesan and any protein if you want. Chicken and shrimp are our favorites!
Video
Notes
Storage: This pasta actually gets better the next day! The only thing you have to do is reheat with some additional broth to rehydrate the pasta. But it will last for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Picking the right protein pasta: This is important because not all protein pasta will work for this dish. Only ones that contain at least half wheat or semolina seem to work. Gluten-free rice pasta and chickpea pasta because they are too soft and gummy. The sauce is luscious and delicious because of the pasta starches, but the single-ingredient protein pasta doesn't have any starches to release. I only recommend using Barilla Protein pasta or a regular spaghetti noodle for this.
Nutrition
Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 8g | Fiber: 4g