Tag: pasta salad

Pasta recipes

How to cook pasta

Pasta is one of our favourite ingredients to cook with. The ultimate way to create a cheap, quick and easy family meal, pasta is one of the most versatile staples out there. If you want to learn how to make your pasta perfect every time, what pasta to buy and how to make it from scratch, take a look at our handy guide to pasta. 

Types of pasta 

Dried pasta is the easiest way to make a pasta recipe at home. It lasts for ages, is super cheap and can be used in many different ways. There are so many different types of dried pasta on the shelf in the supermarket but which one should you go for? 

Penne

The long, thin tubes are very versatile and can be used to make most dishes. Especially good for pasta salad, it’s hollow middle and slight ridges mean it can hold extra sauce.

 

Fusilli
The tight corkscrew swirls can sometime be fused with different colours with the addition of ingredients such as beetroot and spinach. Also incredibly versatile, they can be used to make most pasta dishes and are especially good for pasta bakes. 

Spaghetti 
The long thin stands are the basis for many classic pasta dishes including carbonara and Bolognese. Vermicelli is a very thin version of spaghetti while linguine is a slightly wider version.

 

Macaroni 
The small thin tubes are the ultimate shape for a really cheesy pasta dish – that’s why it’s called macaroni cheese

 

 

Farfalle 
Sometimes called bow-tie pasta for its unique shape, it is most commonly used with tomato and cream based dishes. 

 

 

Fettuccine
Translated as little ribbons in Italian, this noodle-type pasta is a thicker version of tagiatelle, which are both delicious with meaty sauces like Bolgonese. 

 

Conchiglie
The small shells are also a very popular pasta choice as they capture lots of sauce per bite.

 

 

Lasagne 
The thin layers of pasta are traditionally used to create the dish of the same name when combined with meaty and béchamel sauces and lots of cheese. Cannelloni is similar to lasagne but comes in round tubes and is normally stuffed with a spinach and ricotta filling. 

Stuffed pasta
As well as the plain dry pasta you can also get shapes that can be stuffed with a filling of your choice or come pre-stuffed in the ready meal section of the supermarket. Chose from ravioli (square pouches), tortellini (rings of stuffed pasta) or jumbo shells.

 

Fresh pasta 
Found in the chilled aisles of supermarkets, fresh pasta is ready in minutes and great if you want to try a posh pasta dish as it has a lovely fresh taste to it. It needs to be kept in your fridge and expires quite quickly after opening so is only really good for special occasions. 

Homemade pasta 
All you need to make homemade pasta is some strong flour (00 pasta flour is the best to use) eggs and some olive oil. It can be a little fiddly to make but it’s worth the effort if you want to impress. It’s a lot easier if you do have a pasta maker as you need to stretch the pasta until it’s very thin. See our easy homemade pasta recipe and top tips from Simply Italian star Michela Chiappa to make your own pasta.

How to cook pasta 

Pasta has got to be one of the easiest things to cook. Dried pasta takes around 12 mins to cook (although you can get quick-cook varieties). Always check the pack before cooking. You need to get a large pan and fill it with 3-4 times the amount of water to pasta. You can add salt to the water to season the pasta but this is not essential and can be done afterwards.

Fresh pasta can be ready in as a little as 30 seconds so it’s important to check it regularly. When cooking pasta, the experts say to cook it al dente (to the tooth) which means soft but with a firm bite but this is down to personal preference.

Once cooked, you can just stir through a sauce or combine with other ingredients and a sauce and bake with a cheesy crust to make a pasta bake – the choices are endless with our selection of easy pasta recipes

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Summer Pasta Salad with Baby Greens

I love making this mayo-less pasta salad with arugula, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, capers, fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and a splash of balsamic and oil. It’s great for lunch or dinner, and has a healthy serving of baby greens. In the summer, when tomatoes are at their sweetest, I replace the sun dried tomatoes with fresh tomatoes from my garden.

I usually have this for dinner on those warmer nights when I want a meatless meal or just something light, and because it has pasta in it, I feel full and satisfied after I eat it. The portions are pretty large for under 200 calories (only 5 WW points plus). This also makes a great side dish if you reduce the portions when you’re grilling up some burgers or chicken.

Summer Pasta Salad with Baby Greens
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 4 • Size: about 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 3 pts • Weight Watcher Points+: 5 pt
Calories: 169 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 29.5 g • Fiber: 4 g • Protein: 6 g • Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 271 mg (without the salt) • Cholest: 2 mg

Ingredients:

  • 3 oz (about 4 cups) baby arugula and baby spinach mix
  • 5 oz high fiber or whole wheat pasta (use brown rice pasta for GF)
  • 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced thin
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and fresh pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp freshly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano


Directions:

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. When done, drain and rinse under cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, baby greens, sun dried tomatoes, capers, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss well then just before serving top with fresh shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.



Makes about 6 cups.

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Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad with Tomatoes

Pearl couscous (otherwise known as Isreali couscous) tossed with asparagus, tomatoes and lemon juice make a vibrant Spring pasta salad that is perfect for lunch, as a side dish, or even to make as a side dish if you are grilling for Mother’s Day this weekend!

I’m not usually a fan of the taste of whole wheat pasta, but I don’t mind it when the pasta is a smaller cut like orzo, angel hair and pearl couscous. Yes, for those of you who’ve never tried pearl couscous, it’s basically pasta and I treat as such. I don’t follow the directions on the box, instead I boil it in a pot of water like I would with orzo. I just adore the pearl shaped texture and also found it as the perfect shape for my daughter when started eating solid foods.

This salad can be eaten room temperature or chilled, and leftovers are great the next day for lunch.

Pearl Couscous Salad with Lemon Asparagus and Tomato
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 5 • Size: little over 1 cup • Old Points: 3 • Weight Watcher Points+: 4 pt
Calories: 170 • Fat: 4 g • Carb: 30 gFiber: 5 g • Protein: 6.3 g • Sugar: 0.0 g
Sodium: 10 mg (without the salt) • Cholest: 0 mg

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz whole wheat pearl couscous
  • 3/4 lb thin asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed
  • 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/4 cup red onion, minced
  • 1-1/2 lemons, juiced
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add asparagus and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a large slotted spoon and rinse in a colander in the sink under cold water to stop it from cooking. Add the couscous to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.

Chop it into small 1/2 inch pieces. Drain the couscous and rinse under cold water, place in a large bowl.

Add the chopped asparagus, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper to the bowl.  Taste for salt and pepper and serve room temperature or chilled.

Makes 5 1/2 cups.

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