Big flavor, tiny cleanup. These one-pot pastas do it all.

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Nobody loves doing dishes—but that’s no reason to settle for frozen pizza. With these eight one-pot pasta recipes, you get all the satisfaction of a home-cooked meal without the mountain of cleanup. Every dish here cooks up in a single pot or skillet, building layers of flavor right where they belong without the extra colander or saucepans.

These recipes, including Kenji’s skillet-baked ziti and a creamy 10-minute mac and cheese, prove that fewer dishes don’t mean less flavor. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or feeding a family, these one-pot wonders make weeknight cooking fast, comforting, and completely worth the (minimal) cleanup.

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November, 2025

Photographs: Vicky Wasik. Video: J. Kenji López-Alt

This quick recipe combines evaporated milk and shredded cheddar with cooked elbow macaroni to create a creamy, gooey, cheesy mac and cheese in about 10 minutes. Is it the most sophisticated version you’ll ever taste? No. Is it the best homemade one you can make in 10 minutes? Very likely.

Yasmin Fahr

Start by cooking pancetta in a large saucepan, then add mushrooms, shallot, and serrano pepper to sauté in the rendered fat. Transfer everything to the serving bowl. Add stock and pasta to the pot, cook until the pasta is nearly done, then stir in the greens just until they wilt. Combine everything, and you’ve made a deeply flavorful pasta dinner—in just one pot and 25 minutes.

Andrew Janjigian

Is it a soup, a stew, or a pasta dish? You won’t care once you taste it. The dish starts with aromatics and tomato paste, followed by chickpeas and stock, some of which are blended to create a creamy sauce. Add more chickpeas and pasta (ditalini works well), then boil until the pasta is tender. It’s comforting, satisfying, and something you’ll come back to again and again.

J. Kenji López-Alt

When you don’t want to go through the effort of making lasagna, baked ziti is a simpler alternative. And when even baked ziti feels like too much, this skillet version is the easiest option yet. Start by soaking the ziti in hot water to soften it. While it soaks, brown sausage in butter in a deep skillet, then add onion, garlic, seasonings, tomatoes, cream, and cheese. Stir in the pasta and cook until tender.

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Boil vegetables diced into 1/4-inch cubes until very soft, then transfer them to a bowl. Use the same pot of water to cook the pasta. Once both are ready, combine them with garlic, olive oil, parsley, and a splash of pasta water—the vegetables will melt into a light, silky sauce. Don’t forget the Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving.

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Also known as beefaroni, chili mac, or Johnny Marzetti, this skillet dinner starts with sautéed vegetables and garlic, followed by seasoned ground beef browned in the same pan. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, and pasta that’s been soaked in hot water, and simmer until the pasta is tender. Stir in cheese at the end. It’s a nostalgic crowd-pleaser that won’t leave you cleaning up after one.

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

A lighter take on classic tuna noodle casserole, this one-pot, 15-minute meal uses crème fraîche, egg, and cornstarch to create a creamy sauce for canned tuna and egg noodles—cooked together in the same skillet. An optional topping of crushed potato chips adds a salty crunch and a fun surprise.

Yvonne Ruperti

This stovetop chicken lasagna—lightened up with lean chicken and skim milk cheese—starts with sautéed aromatics in a skillet. Layer in no-boil noodles, tomato sauce, and cheese, then cover and simmer until cooked through. Finish with a final sprinkle of mozzarella because it’s lasagna, and it should be extra cheesy.