Reader Question: Improving Pasta

I just received this question from a loyal reader:

"My husband and I have bought a TON of pasta since it's super cheap and has even been on sale lately. We typically either make:

baked ziti
pasta with a sauce (canned - vodka, 5 cheese, etc etc)

So...any pasta recipes that are still simple but a little more versatile (so pasta doesn't get boring) and maybe includes some healthy stuff?"

Why yes, yes I do have some suggestions for you. But first, kudos for stocking up on a staple while it is on sale! The key to making delicious dinners with limited time is having a well stocked pantry!

First of all, one "recipe" I often recommend for a quick, healthy, cheap meal is to take a canned or pre-made pasta/tomato sauce and beef it up (no vegetarian pun intended) with vegetables and/or fresh meat. I personally HATE eating boxed pasta with canned sauce. Blah! By just adding a few ingredients you can take something simple by ho-hum and make it tastier and better for ya.

I usually add whatever I happen to have on hand. Or if I know I'm making pasta (which I may be doing tonight since I have a long run tomorrow am) than I might pick up a few additions at the store.

You could add:

• Olives (from the olive/salad bar or canned)
• Spinach (again you can get a few leaves from the salad bar at the store or buy a bag of baby leaves)
• Onion
• Bell pepper
• Carrots
• Celery
• Ground beef or turkey
• Zucchini/Squash
• Mushrooms
• Broccoli
  

You can use fresh produce or frozen or you could use discounted produce that is starting to go bad. You can even use something leftover from the night before. The great thing about adding items to pasta sauce is that they get incorporated into the flavor, so they don't have to be the most awesomest or freshest. You can add them directly to the sauce and let them stew a bit or you can saute them separately, then add the sauce and allow it to heat through (my preferred method.) Then you can top it with a sprinkle of fresh cheese if you so desire.

I also recommend playing with non-tomato based pasta dishes.

I like to saute some veggies (usually spinach, olives, onion and maybe capers) and then toss them with EVOO and cooked pasta. You could add fresh herbs to for an extra fancy touch.

I also LOVE pesto. You can buy a small jar at the store. It's usually a bit pricey compared to the tomato sauces, but you only use a tiny bit at a time, so it lasts for several meals. OR, you can try making your own with fresh herbs, pine nuts or walnuts and EVOO. This is the basic recipe, courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa. The only pesto I would not recommend is the kind that comes in a seasoning packet. It isn't real pesto, it's pesto flavororing and it's kinda weird both in taste and consistency.

Finally, you can play around with Asian inspired pasta dishes....think Lo Mein. There are many recipes out there, but basically something like this. You can use regular pasta and simple ingredients to make something "exotic."

I encourage you to play around and try different recipes. Pasta is one of those dishes that is hard to mess up and even if you do, it's so cheap it usually isn't a big deal. Take a look at eatingwell.com for some healthy suggestions.

Do you have a pasta recipe to recommend?

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