We are bored with plain old pasta

Vickie - posted on 10/15/2009

For a fast fix get the vodca sauce...in a jar of course then you can either do chicken meatballs or sauted chicken breast little mozzarella cheese...we like it with pene pasta

Cathy - posted on 10/15/2009

Hi Rachael!



I have passed this recipe on to alot of other moms who want a different pasta dish. It is one of my family favorites. I got it out of my Down-Home Cooking without the Down Home Fat cookbook. You might also want to check out their Cooking for Busy People website. They have a lot of free recipes that you can try. I hope you like this!





Pizza Pasta

This is a fun and inexpensive way to spruce up a plain box of macaroni and cheese.



2 (7 1/4-ounce) boxes macaroni and cheese mix

1 envelope Butter Buds

1 cup skim milk

1 (14-ounce) jar pizza sauce with ground sausage

8 ounces fat-free shredded cheese (optional)



• Prepare the macaroni and cheese according to the package directions substituting Butter Buds for the butter and 1 cup skim milk for 1/2 cup milk.

• Preheat the oven to broil. Transfer the macaroni to an oven-safe dish.

• Stir in the pizza sauce.

• Top with the cheese, if desired.

• Broil for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

• Serve hot.



Note: This can be made in advance, frozen and baked at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes when needed.



Yield: 8 (1-cup) servings



Calories: 259; Fat: 4g (15% fat); Cholesterol: 10mg; Carbohydrate: 46g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Protein: 10g; Sodium: 684mg



Preparation time: 20 minutes (includes macaroni preparation)

Cooking time: 3 minutes or less

Total time: 23 minutes or less

Ange - posted on 10/15/2009

Buy a Thermomix!!!! Then you'll be making stuff that you never would have in a million years!! Ok, so I just got one and it's probably just a novely but I was in a rut with food too and it's so good for inspiration!!

Why not try something like moroccan couscous with minted lamb cutlets, or homemade tandoori chicken pizza's. You could try your hand at homemade gnocci (or do it in the thermomix -ok I'll shut up now!) or you could do baked risotto's - they're really quick & easy. Donna Hay has a good range of cook books that have nice baked Risotto's in there.

Nicki - posted on 10/14/2009

Chop 1 pound of broccoli and 1/2 onion. Saute in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in one can of diced petite tomatoes and bring to a boil until liquid evaporates. Add 1/2 cup of nonfat half and half. Stir to combine. Add 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Toss with 1 box of cooked spaghetti righati.

Lisa - posted on 10/14/2009

this is one of my favorite pasta dishes:

1 large onion and chorizo sausage cut in circles, sautee until the onions are soft, add one can of chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. cook for 5 minutes and
add the can of drained black beans and chili powder, squeeze in some lime juice at the end...fast and delicious! You can adjust the seasoning to your taste...

Shelley - posted on 10/14/2009

I cook spaghetti noodles, add chicken and broccoli and Italian dressing, my girls love it as does my husband, its quick and easy to make and delicious.

Twyla - posted on 10/13/2009

velveta cheese and chicken and a can of rotel . its great

Alison - posted on 10/13/2009

MIL's macaroni and cheese



Sautee one onion

add s&p and some thyme/oregano

stir in one can diced tomatoes

simmer while pasta cooks



Add tomato sauce to cooked macaroni and stir in some shredded cheese. Top with shredded cheese and bake in the oven 30 minutes at 350.

Kristen - posted on 10/13/2009

A friend of mine made us a great pasta dish using linguini, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, chicken, keilbasa, shrimp, spinach, garlic, alfredo sauce, & a 4 cheese flavor packet mixed with milk. He cooked the meats first then added the veggies in the same pan while cookng the pasta seperately, then mixed in the alfredo & cheese with the meat veggie pan & simmered for a few mins & served over hot pasta. I'm not sure the exact amounts or times but if you wnt to give it a try it cam out really good.

Jani - posted on 10/13/2009

We do this quite often. Take your reagular, old, plain, every day, boring pasta, and add some ZING. Add cooked veggies, like brocoli and cauliflower. Cover with melted velveeta. A hit every time. You can even add some cooked, cubed chicken. Or even tuna. Use your imagination. The possibilities ar endless. Good Luck!

Kathy - posted on 10/12/2009

hot buttered noodles are good, topped with ground meat or chicken, also amish noodles cooked in chicken broth, with chopped chicken and mushrooms is very good with a nice salad or green beans...

Pamela - posted on 10/12/2009

My very picky 2 year old loves pesto. The addition of chicken and/brocolli is one way to go. Let me know if you need a recipe.

Stacy - posted on 10/12/2009

Not sure if you guys like this, but we sometimes have Clam Spaghetti. I buy 2 cans of Clam Sauce (found by the red sauces), heat it up and add to a box of cooked linguini noodles. My 3 year old daughter actually loves this with parmesean cheese sprinkled on top.

Lyndsay - posted on 10/11/2009

If you are looking for a twist on the spaghetti and meatballs, here is my suggestion...

Make your own meat balls, and make them big. Use whatever spaghetti sauce you normally would, but use it only for the meatballs. (Sprinkle with parmasean cheese, mmm!)

Instead of making pasta, have your "grain product" part of the meal be bruchetta bread. You can buy the pre-cut Italian loaves with garlic butter, then just chop up some onions, garlic, and tomatoes and add to the top. Shredded it cheese is optional, though I find it helps to keep the toppings on the bread.

Annemarie - posted on 10/11/2009

Quoting Rachael:

We are bored with plain old pasta

Every week we have the same old pasta, ground turkey meat with Ragu and spaghetti noodles. sometimes we mix it up with different noodles but it's still the same. Any good ideas, my husband doesn't like cream sauces.

How about instead of sauce use olive oil.  You can  heat up and mix in some sun dried tomato's ,black olives Sometimes I even put in prosiuto

Joyce - posted on 10/11/2009

This is a switch from pasta --- rice but with a red sauce [my husband would eat the whole batch!]

Spanish Rice

½ cup green pepper - chopped
1 medium onion – chopped
1 cup uncooked regular rice
1 pound ground meat
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
½ cup ketchup
2 cups hot water
Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Brown meat with rice, onion, and green pepper
Add sauce, ketchup, and hot water - Mix well.
Cover and bring to a boil.
Keep covered, reduce heat and simmer (stirring occasionally).
25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
Turn off heat.
Sprinkle with shredded cheese and cover until cheese is melted.

Karina - posted on 10/08/2009

sometimes i make spiral shaped pasta with fried salami, olives, arugula, toasted pine nuts, small tomatoes and chargrilled eggpland and chargrilled bell pepper.



or Nigella Lawson has a lovely recipe for spaghetti and meatballs with a lovely tomato sauce.



good luck, karina.....australia.

Joni - posted on 10/08/2009

I have a recipe I make a lot for my family, kids like it too....It's enchalada (sp?) shells.



I use the jumbo stuffing shells and ground sausage.



On the stovetop brown and drain the sausage, put back in pan and add onion chopped very small and minced garlic to taste, along with fresh diced chives. I also add a can of drained black beans, but you could omit that or substitute as you wish. Mix in some Ricotta Cheese, I use the skim/lowfat.



Meanwhile, boil the shells till they are about halfway done. Drain and rinse with cold water so you can handle them. Heat the oven to 350.



When the shells are cooled, stuff them with the sausage mixture. Line them in a casserole dish. Pour a can of enchalada sauce over them (it comes in mild and hot...the hot is too hot for the kids so I use mild). Sprinkle parmesean and shredded cheddar cheese on top to taste and bake until the shells are done.

Ruth - posted on 10/08/2009

Try a peanut (or other nut butter) sauce. The one i use for 1/2 lb dry pasta plus lots of veggies is:

1/2 c hicken broth

1/2 c peanut butter

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T soy sauce

2 T lime or lemon juice

1/4 to 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes (or hot sauce)



Warm it up in a small saucepan until the peanut butter is melted, stirring occasionally. You can use creamy or crunchy.

Noeleen - posted on 10/08/2009

Greek Salad Pasta - Toss cooked pasta with chopped cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, chick peas, crumbled feta cheese and Greek salad dressing.



Pasta with Pesto - Sautee onions, garlic and red chilli flakes (optional), add a couple tbsp of pesto sauce, add veggies (beans, peppers, broccoli) and sautee a little and then toss with cooked pasta. Sprinkle cheese when serving, if you like.

Toni Ann - posted on 10/08/2009

Hi Rachel, I thought some of these ideas may help being that I love to cook and I am italian, so we eat a lot of pasta. Try a pasta primavera (vegies). I use chicken broth as a base and saute broccoli, carrots and any other vegies the girls like also I put chicken in it for protein. You could also try a baked ziti-its quick and easy. I use riccotta cheese mix it with some italiam spices and mix it with cooked ziti, put it in the oven for about 45 min. Top it with sauce. I hope these work for you. Toni Ann