iVillagers' Favourite Fast Pasta Recipes

The following pasta recipes were all posted on our Quick and Easy message board by iVillagers

Thank you to everyone whose recipe is listed here – they’re all great – imaginative, original, fast and practical.

Pasta with Fresh Vegetables, Mascarpone and Basil
Flageolet Bean and Pasta Broth
Pasta with Cream Cheese and Pesto
Pasta with Swiss Chard
Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta Bake
Pumpkin Lasagne
Smoked Salmon Pasta

Pasta with Fresh Vegetables, Mascarpone and Basil
Recipe from iVillager Fluffygirl

This is my favourite pasta recipe, as it's so tasty, easy and good for you too. Bonus! It’s seen me through my student days and my now semi-sophisticated dinner parties with my friends. I hope you enjoy it. The beauty is that you can choose which vegetables you want to use. Here’s what I normally do:

Serves 2-4 (depending on the amount of ingredients you choose to use)

olive oil
2 or more cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
tomatoes
red and green peppers
mushrooms
broccoli
pasta (with this recipe, I usually use fusilli)
canned chopped tomatoes in their own juice
mascarpone cheese
mozzarella cheese
basil (for the sauce)

Fill a large saucepan with water, add touch of olive oil and allow to boil.While waiting for the water to boil, chop the garlic cloves (I usually use 2 but you can use more/less), onion, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and broccoli.Once the water has boiled, add the pasta, stir at first and then wait for the pasta to cook.In the meantime, add a few drops of olive oil to a large frying pan and when hot enough add garlic and onion.Once onion and garlic are lightly browned, add broccoli, then peppers and finally the mushrooms and tomatoes.Make a lovely sauce by mixing together chopped tomatoes, mascarpone cheese, grated mozzarella cheese and finely chopped basil. Warm through slightly, stirring once, then set aside. Drain the pasta when cooked. Add all the cooked vegetables and then sauce to the pasta, immediately. Stir through until the sauce is warm and has covered all the vegetables and pasta.Sprinkle with more grated mozzarella and serve with fresh green salad and garlic bread.

Flageolet Bean and Pasta Broth
Recipe from iVillager Sue Gough
This is a hearty winter broth, full of flavour and perfect for a wintry evening.

Serves 4

225g pasta shells
45ml olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
150g smoked bacon or ham, diced
450ml good chicken stock
300ml dry or medium white wine
400g can flageolet beans
good pinch fresh chopped parsley

In a saucepan of water cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. In a separate large flameproof dish heat the olive oil and then add the onion and garlic. When they have softened, add the bacon or ham to cook for a few minutes. Then add the stock, wine and beans. After a good stir bring the broth up to the boil until the liquid reduces by half. Add the cooked pasta and the parsley and give the broth a good stir.Serve immediately with fresh crusty bread rolls.