Recipe: Rotini Pasta With Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

This one-pot pasta recipe is the epitome of simple and fresh. With only a few fresh ingredients, you can put together a delicious gourmet-tasting dish in just a few minutes. This simple recipe will satisfy even the pickiest eaters, as well as those with a more refined palate. To bulk it up and add some protein, you can also add diced grilled chicken or grilled shrimp.

Rotini Pasta Tossed With Garlic Parmesan Broccoli
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

1 box (12 oz) uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
6 to 7 cups fresh broccoli florets, bite size
2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced fine or grated
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Fill a large pot with water, add salt, and bring it to a boil, then add pasta and cook half the time recommended on package, then add the broccoli to the pasta water and continue cooking until the pasta is just al dente.
• Ladle out at least 1 cup of cooking liquid into a bowl to reserve, then drain pasta-broccoli through a colander; set aside, keeping warm.
• Put the pot you cooked the pasta in back on the stove over medium-high heat and add 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil and the garlic, stirring until garlic is fragrant.
• Turn heat down to low and add the pasta-broccoli into the pot with the garlic.
• Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil to the pot and toss to coat the pasta-broccoli well, then add the grated Parmesan cheese and toss again.
• While stirring, add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and keep tossing until a little sauce forms. Add more reserved pasta water if you want the dish to be saucier.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with a fresh green salad on the side.

Recipe: Easy Spinach & Feta Mostaccioli

This super-simple recipe tastes like a fancy restaurant dish; all you need for a fabulous dinner is just 5 ingredients, and a few minutes to put it together! Serves about 4 people as a main dish, or more with salad and bread or other side dishes.  You can also stretch this further by adding meat or other protein.

Easy Spinach & Feta Mostaccioli

Ingredients:

Mostaccioli pasta. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

16 oz mostaccioli or penne pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cans (15 oz size) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and liquid squeezed out
1/2 to 1 cup crumbled feta
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Put a big pot of salted water on the stove on high to boil.
• Put another pot on the stove on medium, add the oil, and when it gets hot, add the diced tomatoes and the spinach, stir and let simmer on low, stirring occasionally.  The mixture should bubble slowly - not boil.
• When the water in the big pot comes to a boil, drop in the pasta and cook according to package directions, but be sure to not let it get soft, just al dente.
• Drain pasta well, then add to tomato-spinach mixture in pot, stir to combine, and let simmer together until heated through, 1 or 2 minutes, then add feta, stir, and remove from heat.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
• Serve hot.

3 Fast & Delicious Pasta Dishes With 5 Ingredients Or Less

When you think of pasta do you think of meat sauce bubbling away on the stove top all day? That's how my Italian grandfather made it; I remember visiting when I was a kid - you'd walk in the front door and the whole house would be filled with the mouthwatering scent of his family recipe for Sicilian spaghetti sauce....

I'd love to make it that way every time I make spaghetti, but sometimes we just don't have all day to simmer a sauce. The question is, can you create a tasty pasta dish without spending all day in the kitchen?

Luckily, the answer is: Yes!  Making a good pasta dish does not have to be difficult.  The wonderful thing about pasta is that you can use very few ingredients and make a ton of different dishes that the whole family will enjoy - and it doesn't have to take you all day.  Here are a few quick, delicious pasta dishes to try.

1. Pasta Bake

Baked rotini with tomato sauce, grated cheese (Parmesan and Romano), and dried parsley. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a super simple pasta dish that can be created in thirty minutes or less. "Pasta Bake" is a generic term I'm using here for any type of pasta, meat, sauce and cheese combination made exceptionally gooey and delicious by placing it in the oven to bake rather than cooking it all in a pot. The idea is that once you have your pasta cooked, pick a sauce, some cheese, maybe some veggies, and rather than just stir it all together, turn it out into a casserole dish and bake it.  Baking it just makes the dish look more appealing and taste better.  Let's just say it's more like dinner and less like something thrown together on a hotplate in a college dorm room. :-)

How easy is this dish? Just put any pasta you cook, ziti, rigatoni, spaghetti or whatever, in a buttered or oiled casserole dish, then add whatever sauce ingredients you have on hand. Grab some tomato sauce and even a little tomato juice and mix it in, along with some dried oregano. Stir in that last bit of muenster cheese and add a little yellow mustard for tangy goodness. Maybe a spoonful of sour cream, too. See what kind of sausage links you have left from breakfast. Top with shredded mozzarella or Parmesan. Experimenting with different ingredients is key, but what takes this dish from being just a mixed-up bunch of noodles to a delicious pasta dinner is that you baked it. Pulling a casserole out of the oven is so much nicer than just scooping noodles out of a pot.

2. Tortellini Soup

Most people don't automatically think of soup when thinking about how to make a simple dinner using pasta as the key ingredient.  But, tortellini soup is definitely one meal to keep in mind.  This soup is filling and light at the same time. Tortellini soup consists of chicken cut into chunks, chicken broth, a couple of carrots cut into rounds, either Swiss chard or kale depending on your taste for greens, and a package of tortellini.

Bring the broth and carrots to a rolling boil and let them cook for about seven minutes, just until the carrots are softened. Then add the chicken and simmer for just a minute, since it's already cooked.  Cut your greens up into small strips and add to the soup, then add in the tortellini and cook following directions on the package of tortellini. This is such a simple soup, but it tastes amazing, and is actually rather elegant. You can omit the chicken if you want and choose a meat stuffed tortellini. You could also choose cheese-stuffed tortellini and add a handful of diced tomatoes or some tomato juice to the broth. No matter what you add to this soup, it's never going to take very long to make, so you can have a delicious pasta dinner on the table in no time.

Tagliatelle carbonara with basil (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Pasta Carbonara

For a meal with only five ingredients, pasta carbonara is one of the most delicious dishes you will make.  And, the best part is you probably have all of the ingredients in your fridge and pantry right now. You will need a box of spaghetti, about six strips of bacon, diced and fried crisp, four egg yolks, a cup of Parmesan cheese, and some frozen peas. Add some chopped parsley or basil on top and you have a pretty pasta dish that tastes better than many you will find in a restaurant.

When making this simple dish, it is important to have the egg yolks and Parmesan mixture ready before the pasta is done cooking. The heat from the pasta, after you drain it, is what cooks the egg yolks.  Just whisk together your egg yolks and Parmesan cheese in a big bowl. Then dump in your drained pasta and stir.  Add the peas and the bacon, and that's it. You have a pasta dish that is ready to serve in practically no time at all, and one that tastes as good as it looks.

A great pasta meal is only five ingredients away... or less.  All it takes to create simple pasta dishes is a bit of creativity and the willingness to experiment. Dig around in your kitchen right now and I'll bet you find the inspiration you need to throw together a fabulous pasta dinner with very little fuss at all.

And for more great recipes that are super simple and use just a few fresh ingredients for an amazingly delicious meal, be sure to pick up a copy of our FREE Recipe Book: Cooking with 3 Ingredients or Less!

Recipe: Spaghetti With Cauliflower Anchovy Sauce

This is a unique pasta dish for those who love full-flavored sauces and interesting flavor combinations! While anchovies and cauliflower may sound like an odd combination for a pasta dish, it actually comes together quite well. Relatively simple to make, yet packed with complex flavors, this one may just become a new favorite in your recipe book. Serve with a lighter red wine such as a Merlot or Sangiovese, or a full-bodied white like a good Chardonnay.

Spaghetti With Cauliflower Anchovy Sauce
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

Spaghetti (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 box (1 lb) thin spaghetti
2 tsp salt
3 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 medium size head fresh cauliflower, clean and chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1 oz anchovy fillets, patted dry
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (packed tight) finely chopped
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Put large pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil, add salt, then drop in spaghetti and cook until still a bit solid, but just starting to soften, and drain through a colander over a bowl, reserving the water; return spaghetti to pot and set aside, with cover on to keep warm.
• Put a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 of the tablespoons olive oil.
• Add cauliflower to skillet and 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir and cook 2 or 3 minutes or until starting to brown and soften.
• Add 1/4 cup water to the skillet and cook 3 or 4 minutes or until the cauliflower is fork tender, stirring occasionally. 
• Reduce heat to medium and add anchovies, garlic, and remaining olive oil; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to break up anchovies into smaller pieces.
• Uncover the big pot containing the drained spaghetti and add parsley, hot cauliflower/anchovy mixture, 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
• Put pot over burner on medium heat and cook 1 or 2 minutes more or until pasta is al dente, stirring well to combine as it cooks.
• Add more of the reserved pasta water if the spaghetti needs to cook more or if the mixtures seems dry.
• Serve hot in pasta bowls with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe: Roasted Asparagus Penne With Parmesan Garlic Butter

Mmmm...enjoy the spring flavor of asparagus in this simple and tasty pasta dish. Dressed with a quick butter and garlic dressing to let the flavor of the oven-roasted asparagus shine through, this dish couldn't be simpler - or more delicious! Serve with a crisp white wine such as a Riesling or Pino Grigio.

Roasted Asparagus Penne With Parmesan Garlic Butter
(Serves 4 -6.)

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh asparagus, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tsp olive oil
1 pkg (8 oz) penne pasta
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put a big pot of salted water on the stove, and bring to a boil.
• While waiting for the water to come up to a boil, put asparagus on baking sheet, drizzle with the 3 tsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and use your hands to coat the asparagus pieces throughly.
• Put the asparagus in preheated oven for 10 to 13 minutes or until just starting to get a few specks of golden brown - don't let them get too soft or turn dark brown.
• During this time, cook the pasta until al dente; drain well, put back in the pot, cover, and keep warm.
• Check the asparagus; it should be almost ready to come out.  But, just before you remove the asparagus, sprinkle the sesame seeds over and put back in the oven just for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until you can smell the sesame seeds; remove and set aside.
• Get out a big serving bowl and put the butter and garlic in and smash together with a fork until smooth and garlic is incorporated, then add the Parmesan cheese and mix again until combined.  
• Now pour the warm pasta into the bowl with the garlic-cheese-butter mixture and mix until pasta is coated, then pour the asparagus into the bowl, scraping in all the oil from the baking sheet, too.
• Toss, sprinkle with chives, taste for seasonings, salt and pepper if necessary, and serve warm.