Vegetarian One Pot Pasta with Tomato Mascarpone Sauce

A quick and easy vegetarian one pot pasta with fresh tomatoes, zucchini, & basil, and a rich and creamy sauce that will keep you coming back for more. Ready in just 35 minutes, this easy pasta with veggies is perfect for when you need to get dinner on the table fast!

I've only recently hopped on the "one pot pasta" bandwagon. I admit that I was skeptical at first, but it really is a genius cooking hack. Why cook your pasta separately from the sauce when you can cook them together in one pot, creating a thicker sauce??

We are utilizing our summer bounty in this vegetarian pasta by incorporating zucchini, juicy tomatoes, and fresh basil. Everything is cooked in one large pot, so clean-up is a breeze.

Serve this meatless pasta dish al fresco with a glass of refreshing cucumber ginger water or a sparkling grapefruit cocktail.

Jump to:

• ⭐️ Why This Pasta Is The Best
• 🍅 Ingredient Notes
• 📝 Variations and Substitutions
• 🔪 How To Make Vegetarian One Pot Pasta
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
• 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
• 🍝 More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
• Vegetarian One Pot Pasta Recipe

⭐️ Why This Pasta Is The Best

• Quick and Easy: This entire recipe is cooked in one pot for ease and simplicity, and it's ready in just 35 minutes. For more easy veggie pasta recipes, try my summer tortellini salad, creamy tahini pasta, and caramelized shallot pasta.
• Simple and flavorful vegetarian weeknight meal
• Healthy and nutritious: Packed full of zucchini, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and basil
• Thick, rich, velvety and creamy
• Freezer-friendly recipe

🍅 Ingredient Notes

• Yellow onion - You can also use a red onion or 3 shallots as a substitute.
• Garlic - I recommend using fresh garlic for optimal flavor.
• Zucchini - Any type of summer squash will work here. Use it to make my zucchini risotto!
• Tomatoes - Fresh or canned will work just fine.
• Mascarpone cheese - an Italian cheese made from heavy cream and citric acid, which thickens the cream. Similar to cream cheese, it adds rich and slightly sweet flavor to both savory and sweet dishes. Use your leftover cheese to make no-bake tahini cheesecake or pasta with scallops and bacon.
• Fresh basil - Always use fresh herbs whenever possible, but dried basil will work here as well.

📝 Variations and Substitutions

• Pasta shapes. Try different pasta shapes each time you make this, and see which one you like best. I like rotini for this dish because it holds the thick sauce really well, but penne, fusilli, and orecchiette would all work great as well.
• Make vegan/dairy-free: Use any vegan cream or cream cheese for the mascarpone cheese.
• Make gluten-free: Substitute gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free meal.
• Add protein. For an even heartier dish, add your favorite protein, like tofu or chickpeas.
• Make spicy: Add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes before serving for a slight pop of heat.
• Use cream cheese. If mascarpone cheese isn't available at your local market, you can substitute cream cheese for a similar flavor.
• Italian seasoning. Make your own homemade italian seasoning to replace the dried oregano.
• Substitute vegetables. Depending on the season, use your favorite vegetables. Asparagus, broccoli, squash, and Swiss chard would all taste great.
• Use marinara sauce. If tomato paste is not available, substitute marinara sauce for a similar flavor. Because it contains more water, you won't need to add water to thin out your sauce (and your sauce won't be as thick and creamy using marinara).

🔪 How To Make Vegetarian One Pot Pasta

*See recipe card below for printable instructions.

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and oregano, and cook for an additional minute.

Add tomatoes, zucchini, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Pour boiling water and rotini pasta into the pot. Give it a stir and simmer for 10-12 minutes. You may need to adjust the heat to low if it reaches a rapid boil and starts to splatter. Remove from heat.

Add mascarpone and basil and stir thoroughly. If mixture is too thick, add an additional tablespoon or two of hot water. Garnish with additional basil and serve immediately.

👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Storage: Place in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• How to freeze: After completely cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
• How to reheat: Place in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of water, and reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop for 8-10 minutes, until heated thoroughly.
• Don't skimp on the salt. Although the amount of salt listed (1 ½ teaspoons) may seem like a lot, you aren't adding any salt to the pasta water, so the dish is not overly salty at all.
• Adjust sauce to your desired consistency. If the sauce is too thick and you want to thin it out a bit, add hot water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
• How to serve: This creamy vegetarian pasta would be fantastic accompanied by apple gorgonzola salad, shaved fennel salad, or creamy gazpacho.

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

🍝 More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes

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