Pasta Helps You Get Dinner on the Table in No Time

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 2:16 pm

Pasta is one of your best options for a quick and uncomplicated mealtime. The pasta simply has to be placed in boiling water and can be cooked in less than 15 minutes. And while the pasta is boiling you can make your preferred sauce. Whether you go for a tomato based sauce, pesto or a creamy sauce, you can be finished in an instant. Here are a number of tips for a quick and uncomplicated pasta dinner.

Don’t add the pasta to the water before it arrives at a full boil. This will keep the noodles from becoming soft and gluey. In addition, maintain the water at a boil all the time. You can help the pasta remain less mushy if you add some salt to the water. Note that you should not cover the pot after you add the pasta. You need to check once in a while to see if the noodles are done. Pasta cooks rather rapidly and leaving it too long can give rise to mushy noodles. When the pasta is ready, take it out of the water immediately. It will keep cooking if it remains in the water.

With that, half of your preparation is done. The remaining half is making the topping. The great feature about pasta is that there are limitless options for dressing it up. If you’re a pasta lover then keeping a few types of toppings sitting in your refrigerator is the best route to go.

Pesto is a quick and simple topping. Add some mushrooms, garlic or possibly a bit of Italian sausage, top it off with some shredded parmesan, and you have a flavorful meal in no time. Sun-dried tomatoes, either canned or bottled, also work with pasta and allow you to enjoy tomato based pasta without the usual sauce. Top with shredded parmesan and accompany it with some fresh bread for a nourishing meal. If you are in the mood for a creamy sauce, just combine some cream, oregano and sliced black olives. Top it off with a bit of shredded parmesan cheese. It’s a basic topping but very delicious.

Olive oil is also a staple with pasta and can be rather easy to use too. Try combining olive oil with some sliced sausage or canned seafood. You can throw in some basil for taste and don’t overlook the shredded cheese. If you wish to be daring, try adding some spicy meat such as pepperoni.

Pasta helps you get dinner on the table in no time. In only 15 to 20 minutes you can prepare a nourishing dinner of noodles covered with a range of appetizing sauces. With all the possible alternatives, it’s a quick and easy cooking dinner that you will never get tired of.