One-pot pasta: noodles with tomato and cheese, no draining
The pasta cooks in just as much water as it soaks up. At the end only a little starchy liquid is left in the pot, which becomes a creamy sauce with tomato paste, olive oil and grated hard cheese. You pour nothing away – that saves water and fuel, and nobody has to handle a pot full of boiling water. The trick: a small flame and frequent stirring.
- About 15–20 minutes, of which 8–12 minutes cooking
Explained simply
At home you usually cook pasta in a big pot with lots of water and pour the water away afterwards. Outdoors that is impractical: water is heavy to carry, fuel is scarce, and draining a pot of boiling water is dangerous.
With one-pot pasta you use only as much water as the pasta soaks up. At the end a little is left in the pot. You do not pour it away but stir tomato paste, oil and cheese into it. That turns into a creamy sauce.
So that nothing burns, you need a small flame and must stir often. Hold the pot by the handle while you do so, so it does not tip off the stove. And as always: the stove stands outside, never in the tent.
How it works
Dry pasta soaks up a lot of water while cooking and becomes soft and heavier. Some of the water also evaporates. If at the start you put only a little more water into the pot than the pasta takes up and than evaporates, it has almost disappeared by the end. As a guideline, about 250 to 300 millilitres of water for 100 grams of pasta.
During cooking, starch comes off the surface of the pasta. In a big pot it ends up in the drained water; with the one-pot method it stays in the pot. Together with oil and grated cheese, this starch binds a sauce that clings to the pasta – without any flour or cream.
A little water boils much faster than a lot of water. So you use less fuel, and you do not have to drain any water. That also saves drinking water that you would otherwise have to carry or treat.
What really matters
The shape of the pasta makes a big difference. Short, thin pasta such as small macaroni, shells or thin penne cooks quickly and lies well in the pot. Long spaghetti does not fit into a small pot and easily sticks together. A wide, shallow pot is better than a tall, narrow one because the pasta lies flatter.
Stirring matters more with this method than with normal pasta cooking. With little water the pasta can stick to the bottom, especially in the last few minutes when the water is almost gone. So stir about every minute and scrape across the bottom. If the pot is dry but the pasta still hard, add a small splash of water.
Tomato paste only goes in at the very end, when the stove is off. It contains sugar and otherwise burns quickly. The cheese also melts best in the leftover heat. If you try out once at home how much water your favourite pasta needs in your own pot, it will work first time outdoors.
Safety: what to watch out for
Stove outdoors only, never in the tent or vestibule: carbon monoxide can become dangerous there, and tent fabric burns quickly. Set the stove on firm, level, non-combustible ground at a distance from the tent and dry grass.
When you stir, you pull on the pot. On a tall canister stove it can tip over, and then hot pasta water pours over hands or legs. So always hold the handle with the pot grip or a glove and stir slowly. Children stay outside the cooking corner. With a scald, cool it at once with cool running water and with large areas, on the face or with children call 112, in Austria also 144.
Wheat pasta contains gluten, cheese contains milk, some pasta also egg. For people with allergies there is gluten-free pasta and cheese substitute – then cook for them first in a clean pot. Cooked pasta is eaten straight away and not kept lukewarm for hours.
Tips and tricks
Hard cheese in a piece keeps much longer without cooling than grated cheese from a bag or soft cheese. Wrap it in paper instead of plastic, then it sweats less. In great heat, use it up soon all the same.
You can loosen the last bit of sauce in the pot with a splash of hot water. Strain out food scraps and take them with you in the rubbish bag; scatter the washing water far away from any stream or lake so that no water body is polluted.
For children, small shell or star pasta with cheese and a little tomato is often the favourite meal on tour. Put their portion into a mug and let it cool before they eat – pasta with sauce stays hot for a long time.
Step by step
Pack at home
Pack about 100–125 g of short, thin pasta per person in a bag – small macaroni, shells or thin penne cook quickly. Take tomato paste in a tube, olive oil in a small leak-proof bottle and the hard cheese in a piece wrapped in paper. Salt, oregano and garlic powder fit into a small tin.
- 1
Pack at home
Pack about 100–125 g of short, thin pasta per person in a bag – small macaroni, shells or thin penne cook quickly. Take tomato paste in a tube, olive oil in a small leak-proof bottle and the hard cheese in a piece wrapped in paper. Salt, oregano and garlic powder fit into a small tin.
- 2
Set up the cooking spot outdoors
Set the stove up outdoors on level, firm, non-combustible ground, at a distance from the tent. Check that the pot sits straight and securely on the pot supports. A wide, low pot is better than a narrow, tall one: the pasta lies flatter and burns less.
Never cook in the tent or vestibule – carbon monoxide and fire danger.
- 3
Measure the water and bring it to the boil
Put about 250–300 ml of safe water per 100 g of pasta into the pot, plus a pinch of salt, the herbs and a splash of oil. Many mugs have a scale – otherwise measure once at home how high the water stands in your pot. Lid on and bring to the boil.
- 4
Stir in the pasta
Pour the pasta into the bubbling water and stir at once so it does not stick together. Turn the flame down so it only simmers gently. The pasta does not have to be completely covered with water – stirring keeps it all moist.
- 5
Simmer and stir often
Let the pasta simmer with the lid half on for as long as it says on the packet, usually plus one to two minutes. Stir about every minute and scrape across the bottom, especially at the end when the water runs low. If the pot is almost dry but the pasta still hard, add a small splash of water. At altitude it takes longer.
Hold the pot handle while stirring – otherwise the pot tips over.
- 6
Test it – pour nothing away
Take out one piece of pasta, let it cool briefly and bite into it: it should be soft, with at most a small firm core. Now only a little cloudy liquid is left in the pot. You do not pour it away – it becomes the sauce. If there is still too much water, let it simmer uncovered for a little longer.
- 7
Stir the sauce in the pot
Turn off the stove. Stir in 1–2 tablespoons of tomato paste per person and a tablespoon of olive oil, then the grated or finely chopped cheese. With the remaining liquid this makes a creamy sauce that clings to the pasta. Let everything rest for a minute so the cheese melts and it cools down a little.
- 8
Eat promptly and clean up without a trace
Eat the pasta straight from the pot or from mugs while it is warm. Scrape the pot clean with the spoon and add a splash of hot water to loosen dried-on starch. Strain out food scraps and take them with you; scatter the washing water far away from water bodies. Close the opened tomato paste tube well and use it up soon.
Common mistakes
- Too much water – at the end the pasta swims in thin broth
- Too little water and full flame – the pasta burns on the bottom
- Not stirring, especially in the last few minutes
- Cooking the tomato paste from the start – it burns easily
- Forcing long spaghetti into a small pot
- Not holding the pot while stirring
- Pouring away the starchy leftover water – that is where the sauce goes
Quick view
Materials
Short pasta (quick-cooking)
About 100–125 g of short, thin pasta per person
Wheat pasta contains gluten, some kinds egg as well.
Thin, small pasta cooks faster and saves fuel.
Food-grade water bag
About 250–300 ml of safe water per 100 g of pasta, plus a splash in reserve
Use only for drinking water, never for chemicals or fuel.
Tomato paste in a tube
1–2 tablespoons per person
Use up an opened tube within a few days in warm weather and close it cleanly.
Tomato paste burns easily – only stir it in at the end.
Olive oil or rapeseed oil in a leak-proof bottle
1 tablespoon of olive oil per person
Decant it into a leak-proof screw-top bottle and put it in a bag – leaked oil smears the whole backpack.
Never put out burning oil with water – put a lid on.
Hard cheese in a piece (e.g. mountain cheese, Parmesan type)
About 20–30 g per person, grated or finely chopped
Contains milk – an allergen.
Keeps much longer than soft cheese without cooling, but not indefinitely: carry it cool and shaded, use it soon, throw away mouldy pieces.
Table salt
A pinch; plus oregano and garlic powder if you like
Salt improves keeping quality but does not replace heating through.
Metal pot (stainless steel, aluminium, titanium)
A wide pot of at least 1 litre
Hot – scalding risk.
Stove
Never operate inside a tent, shelter or enclosed room – carbon monoxide and fire risk.
Stove fuel (canister, liquid fuel, alcohol)
Store fuels apart from food and in original containers or bottles intended for them.
Store cool, well ventilated and out of children's reach.
Lighter, matches or ferro rod
Observe local fire bans.
Long spoon (titanium, wood or heat-resistant plastic)
A long handle keeps your hand out of the hot steam.
Thin plastic can melt on the hot rim of the pot.
Knife (fixed or locking blade)
For cutting the cheese
Cut away from your body.
Rules on carrying knives differ by region – check local rules.
Suitable for
- Dinner on tour with little water
- Children and groups – almost everyone likes pasta
- Saving fuel
- Places where you do not want to pour away cooking water
Not suitable for
- Cooking in the tent or vestibule – never
- Stoves that only run at full flame – the pasta burns
- Long, thick pasta such as spaghetti in a small pot
- People with coeliac disease or milk allergy without adapted ingredients
Prerequisites
- Able to operate a stove safely
- A level, sheltered spot outdoors
- A stove that can be turned down low
- Knowing whether anyone in the group has allergies
Safety
- When you stir, you pull on the pot – on a tall canister stove it tips easily. Always hold the handle with the pot grip and stir slowly. With the one-pot method you do not have to drain boiling water; that lowers the risk of scalds. A small pot on a tall stove tips over easily. While stirring, hold the pot handle with a pot grip or glove, children stay outside the cooking corner, and nobody reaches across the flame. With a scald or burn, cool at once with cool running water; with large areas, burns to the face or in children call 112 (in Austria also 144).
- This recipe contains gluten (wheat pasta), milk (cheese) and, depending on the pasta, egg. For people with allergies use gluten-free pasta and a cheese substitute and cook it first in a clean pot. Breathing difficulty, swelling of the face or throat, hives all over the body or circulation problems after eating can be a severe allergic reaction: call 112 at once (in Austria also 144) and, if available, use the person's adrenaline auto-injector.
- Do not leave cooked food lukewarm in the pot for hours – germs multiply quickly in it. Only cook as much as you will eat straight away; keep leftovers without cooling for at most about two hours and then bring them to a rolling boil or throw them away.
How it works
While cooking, pasta takes up about as much water as it weighs or a little more; some also evaporates. If you put only a little more water into the pot from the start than the pasta takes up, it has almost disappeared by the end. The starch that passes from the pasta into the water stays in the pot and, together with oil and cheese, binds a creamy sauce. Because a small amount of water boils quickly, you save fuel. The drawback: with little water the pasta easily sticks to the bottom – that is why you stir often.
Advantages
- Saves water and fuel
- No draining of boiling water
- Only one pot, little washing up
- Ingredients keep for a long time, children like it
Disadvantages
- Needs attention – otherwise it burns
- The amount of water has to be right, which takes some practice
- Works poorly with long pasta and stoves without flame control
- Contains gluten and milk
Deep knowledge
Background
Cooking pasta in little water is a proven trick of trail cooking: the water does not need to be drained, less fuel is used, and the starchy cooking water binds the sauce. Because no pot full of boiling water has to be drained, a typical moment for scalds disappears as well.
According to the WHO's basic rules, cooked food is eaten promptly. The US food safety agency (USDA FSIS) advises not keeping cooked food unrefrigerated for more than about two hours.
Variants
- For children: cheesy pasta
- Use small shell or star pasta, leave out herbs and garlic and use only a little tomato paste – or none at all and stir some milk powder in with the cheese instead. Put the child's portion into a mug and let it cool before the child eats.
- With dried vegetables or sun-dried tomatoes
- Put a handful of dried vegetables or chopped sun-dried tomatoes straight into the cooking water; then use a splash more water, because the vegetables soak up water as well.
- Gluten-free
- Gluten-free pasta made from maize or rice falls apart more easily and sticks more. Use a little more water, stir even more often and more gently, and keep exactly to the cooking time on the packet. Use a separate, clean pot.
- With pesto or tuna
- Instead of tomato paste stir in a spoonful of pesto from a small jar or a pouch of tuna. Use up opened pesto the same day without cooling; pesto often contains nuts and cheese.
Common mistakes
- Too much water – at the end the pasta swims in thin broth
- Too little water and full flame – the pasta burns on the bottom
- Not stirring, especially in the last few minutes
- Cooking the tomato paste from the start – it burns easily
- Forcing long spaghetti into a small pot
- Not holding the pot while stirring
- Pouring away the starchy leftover water – that is where the sauce goes
Limits and risks
- Water amounts are guidelines – pasta type, pot, wind and altitude change them
- No figures for fresh pasta or wholemeal pasta with long cooking times
- No statement on babies and infants under one year
Material alternatives
Derived from material properties: a substitute must have all relevant properties. Observe the notes on the substitute.
- Food-grade water bag
- Single-wall stainless steel bottle (Heat only single-wall bottles without paint/plastic; remove the lid before heating.), Double-wall insulated bottle (Never heat directly.), PET bottle (clear, max. 2 litres) (Do not heat or place in a fire.), Food-grade water container (Only use containers that never held chemicals or fuel.), Airtight food-grade storage container (Fill only when clean and completely dry; never use containers that previously held chemicals.), Collapsible water container or bag (Protect from sharp objects.), Fermentation jar or crock (Use only food-grade containers of glass, food-safe glazed stoneware or food-grade plastic – no metal containers for acidic food.), Resealable food bags (Use only bags intended for food; do not use with boiling water unless the manufacturer explicitly allows it.)
- Metal pot (stainless steel, aluminium, titanium)
- Single-wall stainless steel bottle (Heat only single-wall bottles without paint/plastic; remove the lid before heating.)
- Stove fuel (canister, liquid fuel, alcohol)
- Dry firewood (Collect only where permitted.), Tinder (Carry in waterproof packaging.), Char cloth (charred cotton) (Store dry in a tin.), Finest-grade steel wool (Store separately from batteries – fire risk.), Fatwood (resin-rich wood) (Collect only dead wood where permitted.), Petroleum jelly cotton balls (Use only pure cotton.), Cooking oil or cooking fat (tallow, lard) (Never put out burning fat with water – cover it with a lid to smother it.), Tree resin (spruce, pine) (Resin is flammable and sticks to the skin when hot – melt it only slowly over low heat.), Birch bark (from dead, fallen wood) (Never peel from living trees.)
- Lighter, matches or ferro rod
- Ferro rod (Practise before you need it.), Fire striker and hard stone (Carbon steel, not stainless.), Bow drill set (bow, spindle, hearth board, bearing block) (Use only dry wood.), Burning lens / magnifier (Never leave lying in the sun – fire risk.), Fire piston (Maintain the seal.), Pump drill (spindle, flywheel, crossbar, cord) (Fix the flywheel firmly and centrally – a loose disc can fly off.)
Results come exclusively from structured entries. No improvised instructions are generated.
Sources (8)
- World Health Organization (WHO) (2006): Five Keys to Safer Food Manual · Eat cooked food promptly, keep clean, safe water
- United States Department of Agriculture – Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS): Leftovers and Food Safety · Do not leave cooked food unrefrigerated for more than about two hours
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – Prevention guidance · Never use stoves, grills or other fuel-burning devices inside closed spaces or tents – carbon monoxide
- European Resuscitation Council – Resuscitation (journal) (2021): European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: First Aid · Cool burns and scalds at once with cool running water; call emergency services for severe burns
- European Parliament and Council of the European Union (2011): Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers · List of allergens that must be declared, including cereals containing gluten (oats too), milk, tree nuts, celery
- Allergy 77(2): 357–377 (A. Muraro et al., European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) (2022): EAACI guidelines: Anaphylaxis (2021 update) · Signs of a severe allergic reaction and immediate action (adrenaline, emergency call)
- United States Department of Agriculture – Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS): High Altitude Cooking and Food Safety · At altitude water boils at a lower temperature and cooking times get longer
- Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace (Principle 5: Minimize Campfire Impacts) · Pack out rubbish, scatter washing water away from water bodies, use a stove instead of a fire