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This is the Meghan Markle Viral Pasta Recipe that everyone is talking about. I found it to be quite simple and easy to make with minimal ingredients. Cooked in a one-pan skillet, this pasta is ready to serve in just under 30 minutes.
Similar to garlic shrimp pasta that I think you will also love.
Apparently, Meghan’s pasta she shared on her Netflix series has been a very controversial recipe on the internet because of the way she prepared it. In her show, she didn’t give the exact recipe for her pasta but rather showed how she made it and what she put in it. She also said she puts the leftovers in her kid’s lunch boxes.
What she did
Meghan adds the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, spaghetti, salt and pepper, and lemon zest into a skillet. What she does next is what put people on the internet into a frenzy. She added boiling water right over the pasta.
She then covered it and let it boil for a few minutes. Then she adds the stems of Swiss chards, lets that boil again, and then goes in the chopped kale and Swiss chard leaves. Once that’s cooked for a few minutes, she adds in freshly grated parmesan cheese and tosses everything together. The result is a creamy one pan tomato and spaghetti dish that I personally thought was tasty even though it can be improved a bit to add more flavor. Please read along to learn how to make it.
Ingredients you will need
Below is a list of ingredients you will need to make this one-pan pasta. Full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.
- Boiling water: You will need one cup of water for every 2 ounces of pasta. You can swap the water with broth.
- Garlic cloves, sliced or chopped.
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Olive oil or any other oil
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Spaghetti: or any pasta of your choice
- Kale, spinach, or swiss chard chopped and packed
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
How to make Meghan Markle Pasta
Below is a step-by-step visual and instructions on how to make this pasta. You can also find this in the recipe card.
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a tea kettle.
Step 1: Add the tomatoes and garlic to a high-rimmed skillet. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon zest.
Step 2: Add the spaghetti to the skillet and pour over the boiling water.
3: Cover the pan and cook over medium heat, for about 6-7 minutes, stirring once or twice to avoid the pasta from sticking.
Step 4: Remove the cover and stir in the spinach or kale. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes more, until the pasta is cooked to al dente. The pasta can easily stick or clump, so keep an eye on it and stir whenever necessary.
Step 5: Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, stir in the parmesan and allow it to sit for 3-5 minutes before serving (this will thicken the sauce even more, and it will be smooth and so good).
What I would do to improve it
Even though I thought this pasta dish was just fine, just the way it is, small adjustments can be made to add a bit more flavor.
- Instead of water, I would use chicken or vegetable broth instead.
- Meghan didn’t sautee the tomatoes and garlic. I did that for the video I made and that added a bit of flavor to the dish. I highly recommend this.
- A dash of Italian seasoning or some chopped sun-dried tomatoes sauteed in with the tomatoes and garlic would also make a great addition.
Other than those small changes, I think this pasta dish was great and delicious. Go, Meghan!
Tips from my Kitchen
- Use broth instead of water for added flavor.
- Do use cherry tomatoes instead of large tomatoes.
- Try not to overcook the pasta, I used thin spaghetti. If using angel hair it will need less time to cook.
- To add protein: You may add cooked chopped chicken breast, or sautee some shrimp with the tomatoes and garlic.
Common Questions
Yes. Any broth will work. You may warm up the broth in the microwave for a bit before adding it to the pasta.
If you don’t like kale, you may use Swiss chards fresh spinach, or a mix of both.
If you have leftovers, place them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes. This pasta can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the pasta to cool first before placing it in a freezer-safe container and freezing. When ready to serve, reheat in the microwave.
More pasta recipes
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Viral Meghan Markle Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups Water , boiled, or broth
- 4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- zest of 1 lemon
- ½ pound spaghetti, or any other pasta
- 2 cups kale, spinach, or swiss chard chopped and packed
- ⅓ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups Water to a boil in a tea kettle.
- Add the 2 cups cherry tomatoes and 4-6 garlic cloves to a high-rimmed skillet.
- Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Stir in the zest of 1 lemon.
- Add the ½ pound spaghetti to the skillet and pour over the boiling water.
- Cover the pan and cook over medium heat, for about 6-7 minutes, stirring once or twice to avoid the pasta from sticking.
- Remove the cover and stir in the spinach or 2 cups kale. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes more until the pasta is al dente. The pasta can easily stick or clump, so keep an eye on it and stir whenever necessary.
- Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, stir in the ⅓ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and allow it to sit for 3-5 minutes before serving (this will thicken the sauce even more and be smooth and so good).
Notes
- Use any pasta of your choice. High-protein pasta would also be a great option.
- For the greens, Meghan used kale and Swiss chard, but I decided to use only kale instead. You can also use spinach for your Greens.
- The garlic can be roughly chopped or minced.
- Cherry tomatoes work best because they are tart and sweet.
- Generously add salt and pepper to this dish.
- Any oil will work.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Meghan might consider another career.
Not remotely close to Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, or Giadia Deaurenti’s yummy dishes.
Seems like none of my readers like her
Megan should continue to let someone else do the cooking.
I had to change so much on this recipe. Did not like any of the prep, this is from another recipe (great) just changed around. Sorry, will not use this.
Hey! that’s the whole controversy around it right? It was pretty simple and basic, but there are ways to make it better with some easy modifications. I still thought it was nice and simple. Definitely need to sear the tomatoes and garlic and add broth instead of water.
Love it. It was so yummy