How to Make 4 Easy, Speedy & Tasty Pasta Meals
Instructions for the Fastest, Tastiest Pasta in Less than 15 Minutes
Apr 4, 2009
Pasta is an all time favorite with young and old alike. It is simple to make, but very satisfying and healthy. Pasta dishes can be made with ground beef, lamb or from a vegetarian meat substitute. The recipes given here can be made from basic store cupboard ingredients, with some extra touches for that special occasion when you want to impress.
The secret of speedy cooking is to have all of the ingredients ready to hand in your store cupboard and to have fresh meat ready to cook.
Basic Storecupboard Ingredients for Quick Pasta Dishes
Types of Pasta
There are so many different types of pasta and they will store for ages in a dry cupboard. Spaghetti is an all time favourite and cooks very quickly, as does tagliatelli (the one that resembles thin ribbons). Also stock up with fusilli (twirls), bows and shells. They all cook quickly and can be used in different ways to create different dishes.
Tomato Sauce Ingredients
Stock up with jars of premade bolognese or tomato and herb sauces. There are some remarkably good sauces on the market, so why re-invent the wheel? Vegetables can be added into the pasta sauce, e.g. finely chopped celery, sweet peppers or thin slices of courgette. Always keep onions in the store cupboard as a basic ingredient for many dishes.
By adding a few extra ingredients a basic recipe can be transformed into something special. Jars of black or green olives or capers are a good stand by and don't cost much.
Keep oil, salt and pepper and stock cubes in the store cupboard. It is also a good idea to keep dried herbs such as marjoram, bay leaf and oregano in store.
To Make a Pasta Dish for Four
Read the manufacturers directions on quantity of pasta per person. Weigh out enough for 4 people.
- Have 1 lb (0.5 Kilo) of ground beef or lamb ready to cook.
- Have 1 onion ready chopped
- Prepare other vegetable (e.g. chop the celery or pepper)
- Have salt, pepper, garlic (or garlic paste) and olives ready to add.
- Grate some cheese - mature cheddar melts well and tastes great
Turn the oven on or heat up the grill as you will need it for finishing the dish.
Put the Pasta on to Cook First
Boil a big kettle of water and 3/4 fill a pan with slightly salted boiling water. Place the pasta in the boiling water lover a medium heat - there should be plenty of water so the pasta doesn't stick together. The pasta will take about 8 minutes to cook to "al dente". If pasta is overcooked it it becomes too soft and loses its texture.
Now, while the pasta is cooking, start to prepare the sauce but keep an eye on the pasta. When the pasta is cooked drain it in a colander and then put it back into the pan with a generous drizzle of olive oil - no heat. Put the lid on the pan to keep it warm ready for assembly.
The Basic Method for Making the Sauce
- Finely chop an onion and fry it in some olive or vegetable oil until soft.
- Add fresh ground meat or vegetarian alternative and cook through
- Add in chopped celery or other vegetable and saute all for 3 minutes on high heat stirring constantly.
- Open jar of pasta sauce - for 4 people choose a large jar, and add to the meat and simmer for 3 minutes over a high heat, stirring constantly
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and add a sprinkle of dried herbs or a bay leaf
- Add extra flavours - olives, capers or cheese it up with grated cheese to taste.
Assemble the Dish - Four Variations using the Same Ingredients
- For a spaghetti bolognese, pile the sauce on top of mounds of spahetti in individual dishes, top with grated cheese (parmesan would be good) and garnish with spinach or rocket leaves
- For a "lasagne" make alternate layers of sauce, pasta and grated cheddar cheese and finish on top with a layer of grated cheddar. Melt the cheese under the grill and allow to brown slightly or pop into a hot oven until you are ready to serve..
- Mix the bolognese sauce with a pan of tagliatelli, shells or penne and serve individual portions in deep dishes with grated cheese on top. Grill for 1 minute and then garnish with chopped celery leaves.
- Meat Ball variation - To the raw ground meat add salt, pepper and herbs. Form into balls and cook under the grill. Make the tomato sauce with the other ingredients as per the above instructions and then add the sauce to the meat balls in a heatproof dish and pop into a hot oven with grated cheese on top. Serve with the pasta of your choice.
Salads Go Well With Pasta Dishes
Why not have a side salad with the pasta dishes to ensure that people are getting their vitamins. Garnish with olive oil dressing for an extra healthy and tasty finish. Olive oil is a great source of Omega 9 - essential fats for growth and healing.
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