One Pan Pasta & Meatballs

Weeknight dinner does not get much simpler than this. The macaroni cooks right in the simmering pasta sauce and water, with no separate pot to boil and no colander to wash, and as it cooks the noodles release starch that thickens the sauce into something glossy and clingy.

Fully cooked meatballs go in from frozen, so dinner comes together in about half an hour, and a handful of olives adds a salty, briny pop that cuts the richness.

Keep it covered and stir now and then so nothing sticks to the bottom, then shower it with cheese to finish. One skillet, one stir, done.

Kitchen Tips

• Stir occasionally and scrape the bottom so the macaroni cooks evenly without sticking.
• If the liquid cooks off before the pasta is tender, splash in a little more water and keep going.
• Use a small pasta shape like elbows or shells so it cooks through in the time the meatballs heat.
• Let it rest off the heat a couple of minutes before serving; the sauce thickens as it sits.

Variations

• Stir in spinach or chopped bell pepper for vegetables.
• Swap the olives for capers, or leave them out for picky eaters.
• Use cheese tortellini in place of macaroni for a richer version.