Friday, June 26, 2009

Pick Pasta For Dinner When You're in a Hurry

By Katelyn Greer

Pasta is one of your finest choices for a fast and simple mealtime. The pasta merely has to be added to boiling water and can be ready in under 15 minutes. And while the pasta is boiling you can prepare your preferred topping. Whether you decide on a tomato based topping, pesto or a creamy topping, you can be finished in an instant. Here are some guidelines for a fast and uncomplicated pasta dish.

Avoid adding the pasta to the water before it arrives at a complete boil. This will keep the pasta from getting mushy 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. Take note that you must not cover up the pan after you put in the pasta. You have to test periodically to find out if the noodles are cooked. Pasta cooks quite rapidly and leaving it too long can result in soggy noodles. When the pasta is ready, remove it from the water immediately. It will continue to cook if you leave it there.

With that, half of your preparation is complete. The other half is making the sauce. The good thing about noodles is that there are countless alternatives for dressing it up. If you're a pasta lover then keeping a few varieties of toppings stored in your pantry is the best way to go.

Pesto is a fast and easy sauce. Add some garlic, mushrooms or possibly a bit of Italian sausage, top it with some grated cheese, and you have a yummy dinner in an instant. Bottled or canned sun-dried tomatoes also work with pasta and let you take pleasure in tomato based pasta without the usual topping. Cover with grated parmesan and partner it with some fresh bread for a filling repast. If you feel like a creamy topping, simply combine some cream, oregano and sliced black olives. Top it with some shredded parmesan cheese. It's a simple sauce but very delicious.

Olive oil is also a staple with pasta and can be rather easy to make use of too. Try combining olive oil with canned seafood or slices of meat or sausage. You can throw in some basil for flavor and don't forget the shredded cheese. If you want to experiment, try adding some highly spiced meat such as pepperoni.

Pasta helps you get dinner on the table in no time. In only 15 to 20 minutes you will be able to cook a nourishing repast of noodles blanketed with a variety of scrumptious sauces. With all the potential variations, it's a quick and easy cooking dinner that you will never get tired of.

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