i need a recipe that isnt gonna kill my budget..?

Question

tonight i feel like making something special for my mom. like a nice dinner. but whatever i look up on is to much! im kind of out of money since i bought her some gifts already [o ya. its her b-day] so im looking for a recipe [mostly something involving pasta] please help!

Answer 1

1 package Angel Hair Pasta
1 1/2 cups cooked diced chicken
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

PREPARE pasta according to package directions.

TOSS pasta with chicken, butter, lemon juice, parsley, marjoram and garlic powder. Season with salt and ground black pepper, if desired.

This is enough for 4 servings so it depends on how much you both eat.

Answer 2

Try pasta with garlic and oil. Cook pasta as directed. Heat up a couple of cloves of garlic, minced, in a large saucepan with some olive oil (and a little butter, if you like.) Don't brown the garlic, just heat it up. Put in some red pepper flakes if you like.

Drain off the pasta and swirl it in the skillet with the garlic oil. Season with pepper, and a little salt if it needs it (but you should salt the pasta water--it really helps the flavor.)

Grate on some cheese--you won't need much since it's just a garnish. Steam some broccoli, maybe toss it with some butter and a squirt of lemon.

Get a loaf of crusty bread--I like French bread. Get the bake-n-serve if you can (frozen or partly-baked from a bakery.) That way, you'll have something to soak up the oil from the pasta.

If you want to add something extra to the pasta, try rinsed cannellini (white kidney beans), maybe some crushed tomatoes from a can or box. Or some pine nuts--toast them a LITTLE to enhance the flavor. Put in some tuna--get a pouch of it, or a small piece from the seafood department, and cook it.

Just think SIMPLE for the sauce. Garnishes aren't the main focus! They're just a little something you put over the top, not a main course. If you add meat, just use it as a garnish, too.

Answer 3

If you already have the pasta buy a jar of Bertolli Creamy Alfredo (or one of their other sauces).
Cook your pasta.

In the mean time saute a handful of mushrooms, maybe some chopped onions and garlic in a little olive oil. Add the jar of Alfredo sauce. If you have them add a few shrimp to the sauce, gently simmer. Pour over your drained pasta. Add a salad and maybe some garlic bread and you are good to go. Cost should be less than a few dollars.

If you don't have the above ingredients or money for mushrooms, shrimp, etc. Stop by Wendy's or some place that has broiled chicken breast sandwiches and order a couple with only the chicken. (I love the weird looks you get when you order a chicken sandwich and hold everything but the chicken). Slice the chicken and add to the Alfredo sauce. Quick, easy and inexpensive.

P.S. It is sweet you are fixing dinner for your mom on her B'day.

Answer 4

Get some rigatoni pasta, italian sausage or ground beef, spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. Cook the pasta as directed on the box, while that is cooking, brown the ground beef or sausage. If you choose to use sausage, brown it and then once it is done, slice in to smaller pieces. Once you do that, take the pasta, spaghetti sauce and meat. Mix these together and place in a 13 x 9 pan (glass pan would be better). Set your oven to 350 degrees and before you put the pan in the oven, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top, cover with foil and bake for approx. 10 - 15 minutes....check on it occasionally to see if the cheese has melted. Once it is done, take out of oven and then you can serve!! Sooooooooo Yummy!!

Answer 5

Pasta Salad

3-4 Eggs, boiled and sliced
1 Cup Celery, chopped
¼ Cup Green Onions, chopped
2 Cups Chicken Breast, diced
Mayonnaise
Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
Spiral or Penne Pasta, cooked (1# bag ?)

Boil and slice 3 to 4 eggs. Cook pasta and drain. Have the celery, green onions and chicken prepared in a large bowl. Blend 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise to 1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard. (I usually use two to three heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise to two to three heaping tablespoons of mustard. Use enough that it isn’t too dry.) Add salt and pepper to taste and blend. Add the pasta and stir well to combine.
This is quick and easy. Add, reduce or delete as desired. I don’t use the chicken and add more celery. My family loves this warm and as cold leftovers. The only problem is that there are rarely leftovers!! As far as the mustard, I especially like Westbrae Natural (Dijon Style Mustard). It comes in an 8 oz. Jar. This is another one of those recipes that I usually have all the ingredients handy and is so fast to prepare.

Answer 6

You can hammer out any piece of boneless skinless chicken, stuff it with cheese and ham and season the outside bake it in the oven on 325 for about an hour and serve it over pasta . You could even put a sauce over it.

I fill mine with spinach and feta and make a white sauce- but you can use pretty much anything to stuff the chicken with for an elegant meal.

Answer 7

This is a great recipe and it not fattening. Don't add the sauce until your ready to serve. If the sauce cools down too much it gets to thick. Add more milk if necessary and for reheating.
Enjoy!
Creamy Fettucini Alfredo

1 – 8 oz. Package Philly Cream Cheese (I use the light version – 1/3 less fat), cubed
¾ cup (3 oz.) fresh grated parmesan cheese (I like De Giorno, don’t use Kraft)
½ cup margarine or butter (I use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light)
½ cup milk (I use 1% or 2% lowfat)
8 oz. fettucini, cooked, drained (I use the fresh Contadina low fat one)



In large saucepan, combine cream cheese, parmesan cheese, margarine and milk;
Stir over low heat until smooth. Add to drained fettucini and toss lightly. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese if desired. Makes 4 servings.


Serving Suggestions:
I serve this with salad, and garlic bread.
If you must use kraft parmesan, it will work but it won't taste as good.

Answer 8

Okay, look at what you have on hand....

Select a meat, preferably chicken, beef, or shrimp. A half pound will be plenty for two people. Thaw the meat and slice into thin, bite-sized slices, If you're using frozen, pre-cooked shrimp (hint: they're pink), thaw them under running water and remove the tails.

Get out a saucepan or skillet. Melt about 2 tbsp butter or olive oil. Add garlic (either fresh or powdered) and herbs of choice (I recommend basil, oregano, black pepper, and paprika). Go to your fridge and pull out all the veggies in your crisper drawer. Throw out those that look like science projects and keep the rest. Chop a little of everything (except for lettuces and potatoes) and throw it in the pan. I tend to use mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. I've also used carrots, snap peas, green beans, and spinach.

If there are no veggies in the drawer that are salvageable, use frozen veggie mix or canned (carrots, beans, peas w/ pearl onions - be creative). Saute the veggies in the melted butter/olive oil for about 1 minute and then add the meat. Contine sauteing while stirring until meat is just about cooked.

Now for sauce: Look in your pantry for a pasta sauce (tomato, alfredo, whatever) or a can of cream of mushroom soup. Prepare cream of mushroom soup according to directions, but definitely use milk, not water. Add sauce or soup to mixture in pan, just enough to coat all contents. Turn heat down to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add cooked pasta to mixture and serve, either in shallow bowls or on plates.

Serve with garlic bread (use any bread you have in the house, spread with butter, sprinkle with garlic powder, oregano, and parmesan, bake in oven for 10 mins) and a crisp green salad.

Good luck, and happy birthday to your mom!

Answer 9

pasta with blush sauce


1 jar of store bought marinaria
half a quart of heavy cream
1 stick butter
1 cup of romano/parm. cheese
1 box of pasta
salt for the pasta water

heat up the marinaria when hot add the heavy cream and butter
next mix in the cheese and take off the heat
if you like you can add fresh basil
keep warm

to cook the pasta use one gallon of well salted water for every pound of pasta, cook and drain

toss with the pasta and serve

Answer 10

Make spaghetti and cook the macaroni get sauce tomato and maybe even have some parmasean or any cheese sprinkled on the top!