When the groceries run low you can still prepare a hearty and delicious repast for your loved ones. Easy pasta recipes make this possible. When you have a small box or bag of pasta on hand, a little imagination can help you create a meal that will quickly become a household favorite.
With a little ingenuity you can pull a treasure trove of ingredients from your cabinet and refrigerator. Take an inventory of the dried spices and herbs in your cabinet. Check the produce bins for fresh veggies and mushrooms that you can use as flavorful additions. Also take out jars of green olives or artichoke hearts.
The best type of pasta for a recipe that incorporates all of the goodies that are on hand is usually a spiral shaped short pasta or even elbow macaroni. You can experiment with what you have, because the idea is to implement those items that are in the house already. Whichever your selection it should be boiled in a large pot of water until it reaches the desired tenderness, then drained and set aside.
As your noodles cool, you can begin evaluating your stock to see which ingredients that you want to incorporate. Pasta is complemented by a wide variety of flavors, even those as simple as melted butter and parmesan. Because making it taste good is so easy, it is a phenomenal way to use your leftover groceries until payday.
Jars that have nearly run empty, or the last bits of dry salami do not have to go in the trash. A touch of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, or a simple vinaigrette salad dressing can be added to just about any diced mixture of remaining produce, cheese or other items. The stand alone tomato, the last of the mushrooms, green onions, green olives or hard salami can be chopped finely, drizzled with dressing and added to the cooled pasta for a quick, easy pasta salad.
For a warmer fare, melt several tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Slowly stir in two to three table spoons of flour until the mixture is thick. Let the flour brown slightly and then begin whisking in a half cup of milk. This can be seasoned with ground garlic or fresh crushed garlic and salt. Once this mixture is smooth and thick slowly stir in one full cup of whatever cheese that you have on hand.
You can use many different types of cheese to create your sauce. In fact, the more variety that you incorporate, the more interesting the flavor that you create will be. If you lightly butter a piece of bread and place it beneath the broiler it will dry out and can be crumbled into perfect bread crumbs. You will mix the cheese sauce and the pasta together and place in a pan that is oven safe. Top this with your homemade breadcrumbs and then place in a mid-temperature oven for twenty minutes or so. This can be served warm along with a fresh green salad.
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