Easy pasta meal

[chazza]

Hi
The other half has requested something with pasta for the dinner tonight but I don't know what to make!

It has to be easy and nothing out of a jar/packet!

Oh and not bolognese or lasagne as we have that regularly!

Anyone got any ideas or simple recipes they could share?

Thanks!

[4getmenot]

carbonara. Make a cheese sauce can add cream if you like it creamy add bit of garlic, drop in some mushrooms and bits of ham. Mmmmm Mmmmm Mmmmm

[heathfield]

Don't knock something out of a jar. If you want a very quick pasta meal...Chop up 3 or 4 slices of smoked bacon into 1/2 in squares, and slice up half-a-dozen small mushrooms. Fry the bacon and the mushrooms in a deep pan, and when they're cooked add a jar of tomato and basil sauce and heat through. Pour this over fresh pasta spirals that have only taken 4 or 5 minutes to cook. Really tasty, and takes less time than oven-heating a ready meal.

[4getmenot]

No jars heathfield!! That�s cheating. lol

[heathfield]

3 hours to prepare a proper tomato sauce, like momma used to make, or 2 seconds to twist the cap off a jar. I know which I'd rather do, 4getmenot! ;-)

[4getmenot]

ah but mine doesnt include a jar. Go for that one :-) what about a can of plum tomatoes and some puree???

[happy_face]

I'm with 4getmenot. I often make carbonara. I make the cheese sauce from Philly cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Very easy and very yummy

[4getmenot]

I usually leave out the garlic

[Im a BusyBee]

Happy face id love the recipe for your cheese sauce using philly cheese?

[whiskeysheri]

chazza, my mum makes this Carbonara all the time. It's really quick and de-lish... :)

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1052/ultima te-spaghetti-carbonara

[4getmenot]

thats just looks so dry whiskie I love loads of cheese sauce all over it

[whiskeysheri]

Bleurgh, 4get! :)

Honest, it's lovely. All the pasta gets coated in the egg mixture and the heat from the pasta cooks it. Gawd, I'm drooling now... I haven't had it since I started dieting! :'o(

I'll eat anything pasta based, though.

[4getmenot]

well I dont get to cook it much anyway with boyf hating cheese

[whiskeysheri]

Men, eh? Mine won't eat anything if it doesn't have meat in it. He won't touch any pasta in just sauce- it has to have huge chunks of chicken thrown in, Pffft...

[happy_face]

I'm a busy Bee - Here goes:

It's not an official recipe as it's just my own version.

Recipe for about 3-4 people or if you're like us who likes to eat leftovers for lunch, then just 2.

You'll need:

Pasta/spaghetti enough for 4 people

2 x philly cheese (the larger pots) I tend to go for one full fat and one 1/2 fat. But you can mix and match as you like.

1 large onion or 2 small

1 packet of bacon

oil for frying

1 - 2 teaspoons of butter (NOT marg)

Frozen peas (optional and use as desired)

Milk for the sauce, about a pint

Pepper (no salt needed)

start by cutting bacon up into small segments. Chop onions. Fry on a pan until golden brown. Then add the butter, turn the heat off and leave to sit.

Whilst the bacon and onion has been frying, you should've boiled pasta. Put peas in with pasta in last 4 minutes

In a saucepan put both pots of philly cheese in and stir while it melts. Add a bit of milk at a time until it's a sauce consistancy. You don't want it too thin as it needs to be able to stick to the pasta.
Add pepper to taste - again remember NO salt... there is a reason for this.
Then add the bacon onion mix with the melted butter. This will give a real yummy taste to the sauce and the salt from the bacon will season the sauce.

then drain pasta/peas and mix everything together in a big serving dish or saucepan and Bob's your uncle.

this is happy_face's calorific carbonara :-)

[merlin1485]

Make a chesses sauce mix with the paster and then add chopped fryed bacon and mushrooms(smoked from choice) iItalian trinity an option (Marjarom,Basil and Origano) top off with chopped tomatos with garlic or without the garlic

[jessiedog]

Spaghetti alla vongole as the links below - one with fresh clams, one with tinned clams.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/spa ghettiallavongole_77129.shtml

http://www.suppertonight.co.uk/spaghettiallavo ngole.htm

or make a tomato, onion, garlic sauce and add tinned clams and heat.

I know you had your pasta dinner several days ago but you will want pasta again soon!