Skillet Macaroni Barbecue

This one-pot skillet pasta is about as easy as a real dinner gets. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, absorbing all the tangy-sweet flavor of the stewed tomatoes and barbecue sauce as it softens, which means no separate pot of boiling water and no draining.

The clever swap in this version is starting the aromatics in red cooking wine instead of oil. The wine steams the onions, peppers, and garlic into softness without any added fat, then evaporates off leaving a savory backbone in the pan. A naturally lighter dish with nothing lost.

Sweet corn adds pops of texture and color, and the barbecue sauce gives the whole thing that smoky-sweet character that makes it taste like something off a chuckwagon. A handful of fat-free cheddar melts on top during the last five minutes off-heat to tie it all together.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a deep skillet or saute pan with a tight lid, the pasta needs enough room to simmer with the liquid without boiling over.
• Stir once or twice during the 15-minute simmer, this keeps the macaroni from sticking to the bottom as it cooks.
• Use a thicker barbecue sauce for a richer finish, thin watery sauces disappear into the tomatoes.
• If the pan gets too dry before the pasta is cooked through, add a splash more water, the macaroni needs enough liquid to finish.
• Let the cheese melt fully under the lid off-heat rather than stirring it in, this gives you a blanket of melt rather than cheesy streaks.

Variations

• Stir in a cup of black beans or canned chickpeas for more protein.
• Add a sliced jalapeno or ½ teaspoon smoked paprika for heat and depth.
• Swap elbow macaroni for shells or rotini for more sauce-catching surface.