New to pasta...what sort of dishes can i make?

Question

today for lunch, i has batchelor's pasta and sauce (tomato, onion and herbs) and it was sooo tasty. The pasta was little bit of twisty pasta bits.

So, i am now officially hooked on pasta. What else can i make,and what kind of sauces go with pasta?

I did eat lasagne once, but i didnt like the cheese and mince mix.

Answer 1

I make pasta for my family several times a week. It's always easy and the carbs keep me energized for my 16 hours days in the restaurant.

Try to make your own sauces. Then you can put together the ingredients you like.

For tomato sauce, use a can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato paste or crushed tomatoes as the base. Herbs such as basil and oregano are superb with tomatoes. If you are going to add veggies to your pasta sauce, saute them first. It'll add a lot of flavour.

For a white sauce, melt a few tablespoons of butter into your pan (add garlic at this time if you wish, but don't burn it) then add about 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream. Reduce by half, add a handful of parmesan cheese, cook for another 30 seconds and you've got yourself an alfredo sauce.

Pasta does have lots of flavour, IF you're not just buying the white crap that sells for 77 cents a bag at the store. Buy whole wheat pasta (super healthy) or vegetable based pastas, both available at the supermarket or your farmer's market.

For a super quick pasta meal, make egg noodles, throw butter into the pan with them (after they are drained), and garlic powder. Now this is great as a side dish or you can add some cooked chicken and frozen veggies and have a quick meal.

ps. DON'T forget to salt your water when cooking your pasta, it is the only way to season the pasta

Answer 2

There are literally thousands of different pasta dishes. I guess I don't know what "mince" is. I make lasagna and that's not a term I'm familiar with as ingredients. I can't imagine not liking all those wonderful Italian herbs and spices and cheeses. I would suggest going to a good book store and curling up in the cookbook section and pick out a book or two. There are many wonderful pasta cookbooks. I would also suggest trying some different types of pastas... like whole wheat & whole grain pastas, vegetable pastas, etc.

A few recent favorites of mine (other than Italian):

Note: I add steamed (always steam) broccoli florettes to either one of these shrimp dishes... or not. They are great both ways. The shrimp is prepared the same way for both. I use whole wheat angelhair pasta for both as well.

Shrimp sauteed in a little olive oil with herbs, fresh crushed garlic, lemon and white wine added at the very end. Put the shrimp aside while preparing the pasta. Cook your pasta, add fresh garlic and olive oil and some more herbs.. toss in your shrimp. Add freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese when serving. Yummm

The other shrimp dish is tossed in a Thai peanut sauce instead of just the garlic & oil. I make that with a few tblsp. of natural peanut butter, cayenne pepper (just the right amount will not be overwhelming, but this is a great seasoning to use in amounts to your taste), a little lemon, rice vinegar, fresh crushed garlic and herbs (tarragon is one of my favorites for these dishes). I whisk that up well (or use a salad dressing shaker), add the shrimp (and broccoli if using) and gently toss it with the whole wheat pasta.

Don't forgot the cookbook search... it's a fun and rewarding experience.

Enjoy your pasta dishes!

Answer 3

Asian Pasta Salad Recipe
8 ounces linguine -- uncooked
3 cups broccoli florets
12 cherry tomatoes -- halved
4 green onions -- sliced
2 large carrots -- sliced diagonally
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds -- toasted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
2 cloves garlic -- minced

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Place pasta in a large bowl. Add broccoli and next 3 ingredients; toss well. Combine soy sauce and remaining 6 ingredients in a small jar. Cover tightly and shake vigorously. Pour over pasta mixture and toss gently.

Answer 4

There are a million and one ways to cook pasta, there are no right and wrong ways either, so if it sounds nice to you then try it.

Classics: Macaroni Cheese, Spinich & Ricotta Canelloni, Spag Bol, Tagliatelli Carbonara

Any mushroom, cheese, tomatoe, white, onion sauce will go nice, you don't even need sauce.

Try pasta twirls with fresh tomatoe, spinach leaves & pine nuts with a drizzle of olive oil or balsamic vinegar, it's fab!

Answer 5

There are many ways to cook pasta, but more importantly you have to have a good sauce. Personally I prefer to make my own fresh. A good site to visit is http://www.cookitsimply.com/category-0020-0j19.html otherwise experiment. If you would like to know some of the ones I have made up just let me know what your likes and dislikes are and I can give you some of mine.

Enjoy pasta and cooking

Answer 6

ok this is the best spag bol recipe ever without any rubbish in it. fry a small onion till trancluscent and add a couple of large crushed cloves of garlic. fry for a few seconds. take out of the pan and add chopped mushrooms and a small packet of mince and fry until brown. drain off the fat and add the onion and garlic. add two tins good quality plum tomatoes, a lrge squirt of tomato puree, a teaspoon sugar, a teaspoon italian herbs and a couple of table spoons of water. simmer for twenty minutes and add another tablespoon of herbs. do another twenty minutes, take it off the heat and add another tablespoon of herbs. pour over pasta and add a good strong chedder or grated parmesan to taste. oh i forget add seasoning to taste. i cook for two young ones who love it so don't cook with any salt for them. the cheese adds that at the end. good luck and enjoy

Answer 7

there no many sauces for pasta
white sauce, in a pan add butter & 2 tablespoon flower cook it for 2 minute & then add light whip-cream & salt-pepper & cook it for 10miunte until the sause gets thicken

you can cook the pasta with veggies or meat

Answer 8

Fry some onions and garlic in a little olive oil
Add some thick cut bacon, or gammon and some chopped
chicken breast
Add a large splash of Sherry and reduce
Add some halved button mushrooms
Add black pepper - NO SALT as the bacon is salty enough
Add a small double cream
Serve with long pasta

This is one of my favourites.

Answer 9

Try cooking a small tin of chopped tomatoes, add a crushed garlic and salt to taste boil this for 30 mins to reduce liquid then stir in a tin of tuna. Add to your cooked pasta.

Answer 10

As you have found out it's not the pasta but the sauce that has the taste.