Oh hello, artichokes.

I’ve wanted to make one pot pasta for a while, and I always thought that my first attempt would be a Martha Stewart recipe that everyone keeps sending me. But then I saw this one and I changed my mind. Artichokes? Lemon? Kale? Yes, please.

There’s something so satisfying about cutting everything up and throwing it into one pot. It kind of feels like finding out that you don’t have to do a project at work, or that someone canceled plans and now you can do what you actually wanted to do in the first place (sit in bed, eat chocolate and drink tea). I guess the correct word for this would be relief. Bliss would also work.

After you get the chopping out of the way, this recipe comes together easily. True to its name, you throw all the ingredients in a pot and watch the pasta simmer. Then you stir in some yogurt and olive oil and season the pasta with some crushed red pepper.

The best part about this pasta is that it’s light but also filling. I probably could have eaten the whole pot by myself, but I decided to save some for leftovers tomorrow.

Also…I decided to use these wacky gluten-free artichoke noodles, partly because I’ve been having a nonstop carb party lately and I needed to bring down the noise. But I’m sure that this would be equally delicious with any spaghetti or linguine you choose.

Here is a good one pot pasta track.

Lemon Artichoke Kale One Pot Pasta (slightly tweaked from A Cozy Kitchen)

Ingredients

16 ounces dried spaghetti or linguine (I used a gluten-free spaghetti)
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 shallot, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 1/2 cups frozen or canned or jarred (and drained) artichokes
1 cup kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup creme fraiche or Greek yogurt (you don’t want the yogurt to be too runny)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
Parmesan for topping

Directions

Add the pasta, water, chicken broth, minced shallot, garlic, artichokes, kale, salt and crushed red pepper to a large pot or dutch oven. Note: if the pasta can’t lay completely flat in your pot, feel free to break the noodles in half. The water should cover most, but not all of the noodles.

Turn the heat to high and leave it uncovered. When the water comes to a boil, set your timer to 7 minutes. While it’s cooking, stir it with a pair of tongs often. This will ensure even cooking with the noodles.

At the 7 minute mark, taste the pasta. If it needs a bit more time, set a timer for a minute or so more. Then turn the heat off. Stir in the creme fraiche or yogurt, olive oil and lemon juice and zest. Allow it to rest for about a minute. This allows the pasta to soak up any of the residual liquid. Add the parmesan and more crushed red pepper (if you like) and give it one last toss. Divide among bowls or plates and serve.