Pasta dishes are a safe lunch or dinner option for the whole family. In addition to your favorite pasta, the main component of such recipes is vegetable, meat, fish or mushroom dressings. Using various combinations of familiar products, you can get a new interesting taste every time and surprise your household.
Pasta "A la Carbonara"
Italian cuisine offers many delicious pasta options that have long been popular around the world. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to accurately repeat classic recipes due to the high price or unavailability of some products. For example, the classic Carbonara pasta recipe requires dry-cured pork cheeks and Pecorino Romano cheese. Since these delicacies are not easy to find in a brick-and-mortar store, you can make a delicious pasta inspired by the classic Carbonara by tweaking the ingredients a little. So, for 4 servings you will need:
- 250 g spaghetti;
- 200 g bacon;
- 4 yolks;
- 150 ml of cream with a fat content of more than 30%;
- 60 g of hard cheese (parmesan is best);
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- 3 sprigs of parsley;
- salt and pepper to taste.
To begin with, the bacon must be cut into thin strips and fry in a pan for about 3 minutes so that the fat begins to melt. Then add finely chopped garlic to the bacon and fry for a couple of minutes. Salt and pepper the resulting mass, mix with finely chopped parsley leaves and remove from heat.
Now let's start making the creamy sauce. To do this, in a separate bowl, it is enough to mix egg yolks, cream and finely grated cheese. Whisk all ingredients lightly by hand using a whisk.
In the meantime, you can move on to the main component of the dish - spaghetti. Boil them in boiling water until they are al dente. The exact cooking time depends on the brand of pasta, so pay attention to the information on their packaging. Combine the prepared pasta with fried bacon and creamy sauce. Mix thoroughly. Due to the fact that the liquid mass is added to the still hot spaghetti, the yolks in it have time to cook.
Pasta with vegetables in tomato-cream sauce
This type of pasta will appeal to vegans and everyone who cares about their figure. In addition, with this dish, you can easily feed your children with healthy vegetables. Indeed, in combination with their favorite pasta, even zucchini will seem tastier to them. For cooking you will need:
- 250-300 g of pasta;
- 1 medium onion;
- 1 small vegetable marrow;
- 1 small eggplant;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 1 bell pepper;
- 250 ml of 10% cream or vegetable milk;
- 200 g tomato paste;
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil;
- salt and spices to taste.
To begin with, fry the chopped onion in heated olive oil, add chopped garlic to it after a couple of minutes. Then we send diced zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper to the pan. Salt the vegetable mixture and add spices to taste. Various dried herbs are ideal here - oregano, basil, thyme, parsley.
We bring the vegetables to half-readiness and pour the cream into them. Vegans can substitute any plant-based milk or cream for this product. Then add the tomato paste and leave the vegetables on the stove for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the pasta for about 1 minute less than indicated on the package. Put the finished pasta in a pan with vegetable dressing and mix thoroughly. Leave on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, so that the pasta is well saturated with sauce and is fully cooked.
Pasta with mushrooms and chicken in a creamy sauce
In classic Italian cuisine, fettuccine is used for this dish - a type of pasta that is made in the form of long flat strips 7 mm thick. This pasta goes well with a sauce based on butter, eggs and parmesan cheese. European stores even sell a ready-made pasta dressing that includes the listed ingredients. It's called Alfredo Sauce. As a third flavoring accent, in addition to pasta and sauce, as a rule, chicken, mushrooms, shrimp, bacon or vegetables are added.
At home, you can repeat the popular recipe by replacing fettuccine with any pasta you like and making Alfredo sauce yourself. For this you will need:
- 300 g of pasta;
- 400 g chicken breast;
- 300 g champignons;
- 1 medium onion;
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 300 ml cream 10-20%;
- 20 g butter;
- 70 g of hard cheese;
- 1 yolk;
- salt and spices to taste.
To begin with, fry half of the chopped onions in a pan with the addition of 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then add the chopped mushrooms here. When all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, lay out the chopped chicken breast. Add salt and pepper. Fry until tender.
In a separate skillet or deep-bottomed saucepan, prepare the Alfredo sauce. In the remaining olive oil, fry the other half of the onion for 1 minute. Add finely chopped garlic to it and leave for another 1-2 minutes. Then pour in the cream and lightly whipped yolk. Salt, add dried herbs to taste. Add a piece of butter and finely grated cheese. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. The finished sauce should thicken slightly. Combine the sauce and chicken with mushrooms. Simmer for a couple of minutes over medium heat.
Cook the pasta in boiling water for about 1 minute less than the manufacturer suggests. We drain the water and combine the pasta with the creamy meat dressing. Let the dish brew under the lid for a couple of minutes and can be served.
