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Campfire pasta marinara in bowl.
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5 from 1 vote

Campfire Pasta Marinara

This campfire pasta marinara is a one-pot Dutch oven camping meal made with veggies, sauce, broth, and short-grain pasta.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 311kcal
Author: Sarah Trenalone

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 2 sweet bell peppers (diced, seeds + membranes removed) Or 6 mini sweet peppers
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 14 ounce can diced tomatoes (I like to use fire-roasted)
  • 28 ounce jar marinara sauce (pasta sauce)
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 pound short-grain pasta (like penne, rigatoni, ziti or medium shells) Use gluten-free pasta if necessary, such as Banza or gluten-free Barilla
  • 1 cup water (optional) Use if needed

Instructions

  • Prepare campfire: Heat coals until they are very hot, or let a campfire burn down until the wood is smoldering but without active flames.
    Add oil, diced onion, peppers, garlic, herbs and red pepper flakes to the Dutch oven. Set oven uncovered on coals. Cook about 3 minutes, or until the onions begin to sizzle.
    Sliced and seasoned red onions and bell peppers cooking in cast-iron pan.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, and cook about 1 minute, or until the liquid begins to simmer.
    Tomatoes cooking with onions and peppers in cast-iron pan.
  • Add the broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil.
    Tomatoes, peppers and onions cooking with broth and tomato sauce in cast-iron pan.
  • Add the pasta and stir. Make sure the pasta is covered in water, adding additional broth or water if needed.
    Pasta cooking with tomatoes, broth, peppers and onions in cast-iron pan.
  • Simmer the pasta in the broth until the pasta is tender and most of the broth is absorbed (about 15 minutes, depending on the type of pasta and how hot your campfire is). Stir the pasta often while cooking, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot often to prevent sticking.
    Campfire pasta marinara in simmering in cast-iron pan.
  • If you hear the pasta sizzling, it's sticking to the pot. Add a little more water and stir to release any bits of pasta that stuck.
  • Once the pasta is tender, remove it from the heat. If the pasta seems dry, add a little more water and stir.
  • Serve immediately.
    Campfire pasta marinara in bowl.

Notes

Makes 4 generous servings or 6 smaller portions.
Camp stove variation: This recipe could also be prepared on a camp stove instead of on a campfire.
Nutritional information assumes penne pasta was used.

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1558mg | Potassium: 1007mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 3098IU | Vitamin C: 101mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 5mg