Budget Pasta Pleasers

[Luckybustert]

Pasta is one of those perfect frugal foods - it's inexpensive, you can stock up on it and store for lengthy periods of time, and it's so versatile! Do you have a favorite pasta recipe? Please share!

Spaghetti Carbonara is one of my favorites:

1 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I use the dried parsley in my spice cabinet)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.
3. Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Add beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
4. Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

Tastes even better the next day, if you manage to have leftovers!

[Grainlady]

Add this one to your recipe box. It's a great Q & E recipe, especially when you have lots of zucchini, yellow squash, and fresh basil from the garden. This is one of those recipes that you can easily adapt to ingredients in the refrigerator. I often add leftover cooked beans if I don't have as much meat as it calls for. I've also used a mixture of sausage and gluten (crumbles), instead of ham.

Penne and Ham Primavera

(source: Betty Crocker - 20-Minute Recipes - 1997)

2 c. uncooked penne or mostaccoli pasta (7 oz.)
1 c. sliced zucchini
1 c. sliced yellow summer squash
2 c. cubed fully cooked smoked ham
1/2 c. reduced-fat Italian dressing
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper, if desired

Cook penne as directed on package except during last 3-4 minutes of cooking, add zucchini and squash to pasta; drain. Return pasta mixture to saucepan; add ham, dressing and basil. Cook over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper. Yield: 4 servings.

[nancycg56]

If you are diabetic like me, there is a low carb pasta called Dreamfields that is pretty good or use whole wheat pasta

Recipes sound delish!

[Palooka]

This is one of my favorites.

Macaroni with Artichokes and Olives

1/2 pound of elbow macaroni (I use whole wheat penne)

1/2 cup veggie broth

1 6oz jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped

2 tbls of drained diced pimiento

1 tbls of EVOO

S&P ( I add basil too)

Cook pasta and add the rest. Great warm or cold.

This is from Vegan Italiano by Donna Klein. One of my favorite vegan cookbooks.

[hollyhill]

Palooka....that sounds SO GOOD!!!

But what is EVOO?

[starsapphire]

Palooka....that sounds SO GOOD!!!

But what is EVOO?

extra virgin olive oil

[Palooka]

Sorry, it's that darn Rachael Ray. lol EVOO is in the dictionary now.

It's better the second day cold!

[lisaflex]

here is a good one

pasta of your choice. boil. drain.

sautee one onion in OO, add frsh garlic....add 1 pint 1/2'ed cherry tomatoes and 1 bag of frsh baby spinach. pour over pasta. add feta cheese. yum. very good hot, room temp or cold...

[monkeywrangler71]

here is a good one

pasta of your choice. boil. drain.

sautee one onion in OO, add frsh garlic....add 1 pint 1/2'ed cherry tomatoes and 1 bag of frsh baby spinach. pour over pasta. add feta cheese. yum. very good hot, room temp or cold...

We do very similar, although I don't always have the same ingredients. Just cook pasta - usually penne here. Sauté onions, garlic, red pepper, then whatever else is around. Tomatoes and spinach if I have it, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, snow peas, whatever is around, it doesn't seem to matter. Sometimes a little pesto, sometimes I don't have any.

Throw the pasta in a giant bowl, throw the other stuff on top, add cheese - feta if there is any, mozzarella if there isn't.

This is how I use up leftovers. Quick, cheap, easy, and always good despite being always a little different.

[shp1055]

My favorite pasta dish is for a pasta salad. Being diabetic I use the Barilla wheat kind of elbow macaroni.

Boil 1 box macaroni in salted water and during the last 3 or 4 minutes of cooking throw in a couple of handfuls of broccoli florets & about a cup of sliced carrots. When thru cooking, drain & rinse with cold water & drain well. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped onions, 2 cups diced cooked ham (or a jar of real bacon bits), one envelope of Ranch Dip Mix (not dressing mix) and 3 heaping tablespoons (more/less) of mayonnaise (NOT Miracle whip). Stir well, salt & pepper to taste. Tastes best if refrigerated overnight.

This makes a bunch! as in leftovers.