Are you looking for fast and easy pasta recipes that won’t break the bank or your waistline? We have got you covered. Below we have put together a list of three pasta recipes that are unique and sure to be fun, new additions to your recipe book! Keep reading below to learn more.
What Is Pasta?
Pasta, believe it or not, has a definition that is widely debated. When it comes down to it, pasta is hard to define, and that is due to the sheer number of shapes, sizes, ingredients, and pairings. Many people think of pasta as a noodle that is paired with a sauce, however, pasta does not require sauce to be pasta. What is most widely accepted is that it is dough that is made into a specific shape and cooked in boiling water.
What Are the Different Types of Pasta?
When it comes to pasta, almost every country in the world has their own forms and variations. If you are looking for the best pasta recipes, you should know there are an estimated 350 different kinds of pasta around the world. These types vary based not only on the ingredients but, almost more importantly, their shape.
However, that being said, not every type of pasta has to have a designated or purposeful shape. For example, Moroccan pasta, couscous, has no specific shape.
3 Pasta Recipes to Make Meal Time Fun
Are you stuck in an endless cycle of making the same meals repeatedly? Is your family starting to dread mealtimes and asking to eat out instead? Trust us, you are not alone. That is why we have put together three easy and fun recipes to spice up your week. Not only are these recipes easy to make they are quick and shouldn’t take you any more than an hour to put together.
1. Buttered Lemon Ravioli
Image via Freepik
If there is one thing we love above pasta, it’s that it can be made quickly and still taste amazing. This buttered lemon ravioli recipe can be made in just 15 minutes and serves up to three people. Keep reading to find the ingredient list and step-by-step how-to below.
Ingredients
- 25g butter
- 2 shallots
- 200g baby leafy greens
- 1 lemon
- 310g spinach and ricotta ravioli
- Optional: parmesan cheese
Instructions
Step 1: Butter and Shallots
This is one of the easiest pasta recipes on our list. To begin, take your 25g of butter and melt it in a large frying pan. Once melted, you can throw in your shallots and cook until they are soft.
Step 1: Cooking Greens
Now that you have soft shallots cooked in butter, you can add the baby leafy greens. Make sure you only cook the greens until they are slightly wilted. At this point, you will stir in some lemon zest and lemon juice and season as desired.
Step 1: Mix and Serve
The final step to learning how to cook buttered lemon ravioli is to cook your ravioli as directed and add everything together. Mix gently and serve. Add grated parmesan cheese if you want an added, cheesy kick!
2. Vegetarian Mac and Cheese
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There is just something about mac and cheese that say nostalgia and a warm belly. If you are looking for a gourmet mac and cheese pasta recipe you can make at home, keep reading! The ingredient list and instructions are below.
Ingredients
- 300g macaroni
- 55g parmesan cheese
- 60g toasted cornbread crumbs
- Vegetable oil
- ¼ red onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 150g collard greens
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp plain flour
- 125ml whole milk
- 6 tbsp double cream
- 50g cheddar
- 5 tbsp sour cream
Instructions
Step 1: Frying until Soft
To start, take your collard greens and place them in a frying pan with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat the oil and add your onion and garlic. Fry the onion and garlic for approximately five minutes or until they turn soft.
Step 2: Add Brown Sugar
Step two is to take the brown sugar and add it to the pan until it is fully dissolved. Once the sugar is no longer granulated, you can add the cider vinegar. Allow this to simmer for around two minutes before moving onto the next step.
Step 3: Add Water
Take three tablespoons of water and add to your pan. Put a lid on the pan and allow the mixture to cook for ten to fifteen minutes. Make sure it is fully tender before turning off the heat.
Step 4: Cheese Sauce
To begin on the cheese sauce, you will start by melting butter in a pan. Once the butter is melted add the flour and allow this to cook for a few minutes until it becomes golden brown.
Step 5: Whole Milk and Double Cream
Now you will take your whole milk and double cream and add it to the pan. Allow this new mixture to simmer for around five minutes before stirring in your cheeses. Make sure the cheese becomes fully melted while stirring gently.
Step 6: Cream Cheese
Once your cheese is fully melted and blended together, you can remove it from the heat. Now, you will want to grab the sour cream and any additional seasonings of your choice. Stir these in thoroughly until well blended.
Step 7: Begin Baking
For this step, begin by heating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce mixture and stir. Pour this mixture into an 8×6-inch baking dish.
Optional Step: Cheese Top
An optional step is to cover the top of your dish in grated cheese. For this step, we used parmesan and any of the cheese we had left over.
Step 8: Cook and Serve
All that is left is to bake your dish for around 20 minutes. If you want a visual aid, you can cook this dish until the top becomes golden brown. Once cooked, you can remove it from the oven, cover the top in toasted cornbread crumbs, and get ready to serve!
3. Vegan Bolognese
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Are you looking for pasta recipes that your whole family will love? Vegan bolognese is an easy favorite that does not contain any meat. The best part is, this recipe is low-fat, healthy, and hides all the great vegetables in a delicious sauce.
Ingredients
- 30g dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 500g chestnut mushrooms
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 1 tsp rosemary leaves
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 star anise
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tomatoes
- ½ basil bunch
- 400g tagiatelle
Instructions
Step 1: Soak the Porcini
Begin by taking the dried porcini mushrooms and putting them in a temperature-safe bowl. Next, you will want to boil 1 cup of water. Once the water is boiled you can pour the boiling water over your mushrooms and let them soak.
Step 2: Fry the Mushrooms
Heat a large, non-stick pan. Once the pan is hot, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil, the chestnut mushrooms, and a pinch of salt into the pan. Fry the mushrooms until they are soft and golden brown.
​Take the mushrooms out of the pan and replace them with the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. We recommend adding another tbsp of olive oil to your pan while you cook this, under a lid, for ten minutes. Make sure you come back and stir this mixture every so often until everything is softened.
Step 3: Add Everything Together
Next, you will want to take the herbs, celery salt, star anise, and tomato puree and add it to the pan. You will now go back to your porcini mushrooms and drain them, however, make sure you keep the water you drain from the mushrooms.
Chop the porcini finely and add these along with the strained water to that same pan. You can also add your chestnut mushrooms back in at this phase.
Step 4: Cook, Pour, and Serve
Stir everything in the pan as thoroughly as possible and then add in the chopped tomato. We suggest letting this mixture cook for around a half an hour before adding the basil. Cook the tagliatelle as directed and pour this sauce over and serve!
Conclusion
Image by engin akyurt from Pixabay
When you cook for people other than yourself, it can be stressful to search for recipes that please everyone. Not only do you have to worry about the price point of each ingredient, but you also have to worry about how healthy it is, and if it can be reheated for leftovers.
That is what we love about pasta recipes, pasta is inexpensive, it reheats beautifully in an oven, pan, or microwave, and there are endless ways to spice it up.
No matter what your taste buds prefer, there are sure to be pasta recipes out there perfect for you! We recommend writing down recipes you try and keep them handy during and after cooking. Asking for suggestions around the table is a great way to tweak the recipe to make it your own.
