Whether you’re planning for a dinner party or cooking for your picky toddler, pasta dishes continue to prove their worth in versatility and ease. Not only can they be paired with almost any meat – chicken, steak, and shrimp, to name a few – there are an endless variety of sauces and toppings to dress up or down your dish for the ultimate comfort food. Dietary restrictions? Not a problem! Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, kosher, keto – there are noodle alternatives that will accommodate any diet. Feeling adventurous? Try making your own noodles using a handy pasta maker such as the Uno Casa Pasta Maker – Roller and Cutter! With over 350 different varieties of pasta noodles, the opportunities are endless.
Here are five simple and easy to prepare recipes that will fit any busy week-night schedule. Double or triple the recipes for a simple and filling leftover lunch the next day.
Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff
Serves 6-8
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5-6 hours
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1/8C butter, softened
- 7oz package dry Italian style salad dressing
- 8oz cream cheese
- 1 (10.75oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- Package of noodles (preferably a long noodle such as fettuccine, rice noodles, or egg noodles)
Instructions
- Place chicken, butter, and dressing mix in a crockpot.
- Mix until the chicken is well coated.
- Cook on LOW for 5-6hrs or HIGH for 2hrs.
- Once finished, add in the cream cheese and cream of chicken soup.
- Cook on HIGH for an additional 30min.
- Cook noodles according to package directions.
- Shred the chicken and serve over noodles.
Creamy Avocado Pasta
Serves 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 medium ripe avocado, pitted
- 1T lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2t salt
- 1/4C fresh basil
- 2T olive oil
- 2 servings of your choice of pasta
- Pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, place garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil in a food processor.
- Puree until smooth.
- Add pitted avocado, fresh basil, and salt.
- Process until smooth and creamy.
- Drain pasta and pour sauce over top.
- Top with black pepper to your liking.
Spaghetti Carbonara
Serves 6
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 16oz noodles of choice (usually spaghetti or fettuccine)
- 5 eggs
- 1 1/2C grated Parmesan cheese
- Package of bacon, uncooked and diced
- 8 cloves of garlic, minced
- Veggies of choice: peas, broccoli, etc.
Instructions
- Boil noodles according to package directions.
- Reserve 1C of water before draining.
- Whisk together the eggs and Parmesan in a small bowl and then set aside.
- Cook bacon on medium to high heat in a large skillet until desired crispiness, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pan of bacon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Reduce heat.
- Working quickly, stir in noodles and egg mixture and gently toss to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add reserve pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
- (Optional: add in choice of veggies.)
Creamy Bacon Pasta with Brussel Sprouts
Serves 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 12oz Trottole Pasta
- Bacon, cooked and diced
- 1C Brussels sprouts, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jar Alfredo sauce
- Shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2C of pasta water for later.
- In a large pot, saute Brussels Sprouts until evenly browned, about 10minutes.
- In the last few minutes of cooking, combine the garlic with the Brussels Sprouts and heat until fragrant.
- Add in the pasta, Alfredo sauce, reserved pasta water, brussels sprouts, and bacon and gently stir until well combined.
- Garnish with Parmesan to serve.
Angel Hair with Zucchini and Tomatoes
Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 8oz angel hair pasta
- 1/4C chicken broth
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil noodles according to package directions.
- In a large pan, heat the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high heat until it is cooked through and softens, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and broth and heat on medium-high heat until the sauce comes to a simmer, about 10 minutes.
- Drain pasta and toss with the sauce.
- Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Pasta should be a pantry staple in any household. Its long shelf life and quick cook time make it the perfect easy dinner for any busy adult. Toss it together with a combination of vegetables, protein, and a cream or oil-based sauce, and you have yourself a delicious comfort food sure to please a crowd.
