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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.
Pasta with Cream Cheese and Pesto
Recipe from iVillager brownie252
This dish goes very well with garlic mushrooms or sweetcorn. If you are a meat eater, I recommend adding either chicken or turkey, or a meat that doesn't have too distinctive a taste or that will take the credit away from the pesto. If you wish to add meat and mushrooms you should cook them first for approximately 10 minutes in a frying pan with either a low fat spray of oil or a very light low fat butter (Gold extra light, for instance). 50-75g fusilli pasta per person
75g light Philadelphia per person
1 large tsp pesto per person
parmesan, to serve
salt - Put a large pan of water on to boil with a large pinch of salt (as well as a bit over the left shoulder!) and wait for it to come to the boil – approx 6-7 minutes.
- Place the pasta in the water and give it about 6 minutes to slowly come back to the boil, then leave to cook in simmering water until al dente or to your liking.
- Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and drain and then return the pasta to the heat for 20 seconds.
- Next add the Philadelphia and pesto and stir over a low heat. If you wish to add meat or vegetables add them now and stir over a low heat for 2 minutes.
- This dish is best served with a Chardonnay or dry wine such as a Chenin Blanc. For something extra special, coat with fresh shavings of parmesan.
Pasta with Swiss Chard
Recipe from iVillager Cindy (Baton Rouge, LA, USA)
I make this dish about once a week at this time of year when I have an abundance of Swiss chard to harvest. Serves 4 225g penne or rigatoni, cooked & drained
2 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, chopped
110g mushrooms, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
200g canned chopped tomatoes, drained
110ml red or white wine, or chicken stock
½ tsp red pepper flakes
450g Swiss chard, washed, stems removed and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
freshly grated parmesan, pecorino or asiago cheese, to serve
salt & pepper, to taste - Put the pasta in a pan of boiling water. Add a good pinch of salt. Drain when ready and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion until clear. Add the mushrooms. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes, wine or stock, red pepper and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the chopped Swiss chard and pine nuts. Continue cooking until the chard wilts.
- Immediately add the cooked pasta. Toss to coat.
- Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan, pecorino or asiago cheese.
Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta Bake
Recipe from iVillager Springdragon
This is a favourite with my boys. Serve with big chunks of crusty bread. Serves 4 300g pasta shapes
tin of condensed cream of mushroom (or tomato) soup
milk
large tin of tuna chunks, drained
large tin of sweetcorn, drained
large tin of pineapple chunks, drained
grated cheddar
1 bag salt and vinegar or prawn cocktail crisps, crushed - Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
- Cook the pasta shapes in boiling water. Drain and put in a large ovenproof dish.
- Make up the soup with half the amount of milk recommended on the tin. Stir this into the pasta.
- Add the tuna chunks, sweetcorn and pineapple chunks. Mix well to coat everything in the soup.
- Sprinkle liberally with grated cheddar mixed with the crushed crisps.
- Put in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Yummy and comforting!
Pumpkin Lasagne
Recipe from cl-murrerol
A basic and easy meal to cook, very filling and great for entertaining. Instead of using the traditional meat, slice and dice up pumpkin and use that instead. Mix it with lightly fried onions, tomatoes and lightly fried mushrooms and a dash of pepper, and place in layers with lasagne sheets and cheese sauce. Cook until all is tender and serve with green salad… and possibly foccacia bread – yummy. What’s more, it is extremely good for you. To make it a little different, try a different cheese, ie: Red Leicester. You can really place anything in a lasagne ... but pumpkin is my most favourite! Last but not least... iVillager Ellie Washington’s winning recipe Smoked Salmon Pasta
Serves 4 225g mushrooms
knob of butter
2 crushed garlic cloves
pack of smoked salmon trimmings
pot sour cream
tagliatelle
basil, finely chopped - Wash and chop the mushrooms, then fry gently in the butter with the garlic.
- Sort and cut the best bits of the smoked salmon.
- Add the smoked salmon to the mushroom and butter mixture and heat gently until cooked.
- Add the sour cream and stir well.
- Put into a container and place in the fridge. Leave all day or overnight so that the flavours can seep through.
- Half an hour before you are ready to eat, cook the pasta.
- Add the sauce just before you are ready to serve up. Sprinkle with the basil.
- Serve with French bread, a side salad and a nice glass of Italian white wine.
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