Protein – Plan on 3-4 oz. per person

• Salami (unrefrigerated in plastic)
• Tuna in pouches
• Chicken in pouches

Pasta – Plan on 2-3 oz. per person

• Best to pick one of the smaller shapes – elbow macaroni, etc.
• Better not to pick long strands, like spaghetti, linguini, etc.

Sauce – if using packages, check recommended serving sizes

• Tomato based – either packaged dried sauce or tomato paste plus garlic powder, Italian seasoning, dried onions, etc. (~2 oz. tomato paste per person)
• Cream based – Packaged dried alfredo sauce, cream of mushroom soup, etc.
• Onion based – Onion soup mix, etc.

Cheese – Plan on 1-2 oz. per person. Buy packages of grated cheese. Drier cheeses are more stable than wetter cheeses and more suitable for warmer weather.

• Drier cheeses – Parmesan, Romano, Italian blend
• Wetter cheeses – Cheddar, Mexican blend

Basic Approach

For salami – Cut the salami in thin slices and fry it in the pot, and pour off the fat. Add the sauce ingredients and water. (~ 1 liter Nalgene bottle for 12 oz. of pasta.) Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. (Take out a piece after about 10 minutes and taste if it is done. If not cook a little longer.) Watch the water and stir, adding more if necessary. The object is for the pasta to not stick to the pan, but also not to be liquid like a soup. When finished serve and let everyone sprinkle cheese in their bowls.

For tuna/chicken – Mix the sauce ingredients with water (~ 1 liter Nalgene bottle for 12 oz. of pasta.), add the tuna/chicken and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. (Take out a piece after about 10 minutes and taste if it is done. If not cook a little longer.) Watch the water and stir, adding more if necessary. The object is for the pasta to not stick to the pan, but also not to be liquid like a soup. When finished serve and let everyone sprinkle cheese in their bowls.

Here are some more sophisticated one-pot pastas:

South Texas Ranch Chili Mac – Backpacking Version

One Pot Pasta – Backpacking Version