Learn how to make it here!
We’ve all seen those one-pot pasta meals floating around the internet, right? Just chuck everything into a pan and voila! A delicious and super easy meal emerges! Well, who knew such a thing would make its way into an anime? I certainly wasn’t expecting it when this recipe showed up in Laid-Back Camp, but I really felt compelled to make it when the show practically outlined the entire recipe from start to finish. I mean, how much easier could it get to recreate this dish? The challenge here was to see if the instructions provided would actually result in a delicious and fool-proof recipe.
The verdict? Well, how do I put this… the flavor was out-of-this-world delicious. The method was incredibly easy. But, if you follow the recipe as outlined DIRECTLY in the anime, the results aren’t perfect. Luckily, that’s why you have me – to tell you how this camp meal can reach perfection in your own kitchen at home (no camping necessary).
The recipe as detailed in the anime calls for us to add the asparagus, bacon, onion, and mushroom to a pot with a little oil and garlic and to cook for a few minutes, or until starting to soften. Then, we’re to add the water, the pasta, and a consomme cube for seasoning. Boil until water is absorbed, and then add in the milk and cheese, and garnish with parsley. I made it as described the first time through, and it was good.
Then I made it a second time through, and here are the changes I would recommend to get the most out of your pasta. There are a few small problems in the original – if you add in the garlic at the beginning with the oil, there’s a chance that it will burn, so I’d recommend adding it a minute before you add in the water. This will maximize garlic flavor and go a long way towards seasoning the milk-based sauce. The asparagus I’d recommend adding in with the milk, as it cooks very quickly. If you let it boil with the water, it has a tendency to get mushy and overcook. It’s not necessarily bad, but it could be better if you wait to add it.
Another thing I’d recommend is lowering the heat quite a bit once you add in the milk. In the anime, it says to boil the pasta a while longer in the milk and cheese before serving. However, I found that the intense heat caused the milk and cheese to become a bit separated and grainy. To resolve this, take the pasta from a boil to a gentle simmer once you’ve added the milk. Put the cheese slices on top, and just as they’ve become a bit melty, stir through to combine with the leftover milk and make a creamy, cheesy base.
Overall, Rin, our beloved main character of Laid-Back Camp, does an impressive job with this recipe. It looks good in the anime, and it tastes good in real life as well. The pasta is deliciously seasoned, and is the perfect thing to eat on a cold day. I can see how this would be great as a camping meal as well, since you can prep so much of this at home and just throw it all together when you’re ready to start cooking. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s comforting, and it gives you a great sense of accomplishment when you pull it all together. Even if your camping trip doesn’t go to plan, this meal will certainly help make it a success!
I really hope you can try this out! Watch the video below to get more pointers on how exactly to make this dish!
Ingredients for One Pot Pasta
Makes 1 Serving
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 stalks asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 of a yellow onion, cut into slivers
2 oz shimeji mushrooms, separated at the stem
1 clove garlic, minced
1 consomme cube
150 ml water
2 oz spaghetti
200 ml milk
2 slices Havarti cheese
Dried parsley (garnish)
To Make One Pot Pasta
(Directions altered to make sure the asparagus isn’t overcooked, and to make sure the heat is lowered when you add the milk and cheese. To make it authentic to how I did it in the video and in the anime, add the asparagus in with the rest of the vegetables, and let pasta continue to boil once you add in the milk and cheese.)
1. Heat about 1 tbsp olive oil in a sauce pan over high heat. When hot, add in the bacon, onion, and mushrooms. Season with salt.
2. Add in the garlic and sautee for about a minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
3. Add in consomme cube and water. Break spaghetti in half and bring to a boil. Allow spaghetti to absorb all the water.
4. When the water has almost been fully absorbed, add in the asparagus and stir through. Add in the milk, and lower the heat to medium high, so that the milk isn’t boiling fully, but just simmering.
5. Allow the spaghetti to absorb a bit more milk, and then spread the cheese slices on top. Allow to melt slightly, before stirring through the pasta.
6. Finish with cracked pepper and dried parsley. Eat hot, maybe even straight out of the pot.
I hope you enjoyed this post! Check in next week for another recipe. To check out more anime food recipes, visit my blog. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below! I recently got a Twitter, so you can follow me at @yumpenguinsnack if you would like, and DEFINITELY feel free to send me food requests! My Tumblr is yumpenguinsnacks.tumblr.com. Find me on Youtube for more video tutorials! Enjoy the food, and if you decide to recreate this dish, show me pics! 😀
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