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Simple Weeknight Pastas
What does Grandma turn to on busy weeknights?
You will always find a box (or two or three) of pasta in Grandma’s pantry. The reason is simple: It’s the easiest, tastiest way to get a home-cooked, from-scratch dinner on the table on hectic weeknights.
So take your pick from the Grandma’s easy pantry pasta dishes below, and then browse her quintet of easy, five-ingredient pastas. When you see how quick and easy pasta can be, you won’t be tempted by takeout pizza or tacos again.
Pantry Pasta: No Shopping Required
Think you don’t have anything to make for dinner? Think again! Grandma frequently falls back on these two dishes; both can be made in a flash and use staples she always has on hand. So even if you haven’t gone to the market in days, dinner is just a few minutes away!
Garlicky Spaghetti and Olive Oil: Heat 6 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat; cook 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves just until golden. Pour the garlic and oil over 1 pound cooked spaghetti; toss and serve. For some interesting variations on this Italian classic, add a small amount of any of the following to the oil and garlic: crushed red pepper, tomato paste, chopped pitted olives or anchovies, drained flaked tuna, pesto sauce.
Pasta with Golden Crunchy Crumbs: In a small skillet, toast 1/3 cup bread crumbs in 1 tablespoon olive oil until golden; season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate. Heat 6 tablespoons olive oil in the same skillet; add 1 thinly sliced medium onion and cook over medium heat until softened and just golden. Toss the onions and oil with 1 pound cooked pasta. Just before serving, sprinkle with the bread crumbs and plenty of grated Parmesan cheese, if you happen to have some.
Five-Ingredient Pastas
If you’re looking for pasta that is a little more elaborate, these hearty pastas couldn’t be easier. Each uses only five ingredients, plus a little salt and pepper. Just slice some bread, toss a salad and presto—dinner is served.
- Fettuccine with Grilled Salmon (pictured above): A rich sauce of sour cream, lemon and herbs is perfect with spinach pasta and salmon.
- Cheesy Baked Tortellini: It takes less than 30 minutes to put together this tomato-ey favorite.
- Skillet Shells with Sausage: An easy tomato sauce laced with Italian sausage cloaks shell pasta for a weeknight treat.
- Creamy Ricotta and Tomato Penne: This quick vegetarian dish puts cherry tomatoes to such good use.
- Quick-Fix Spaghetti: Just garlic, parsley, nuts and olive oil are needed for this almost-instant sauce.
Bonus Pasta Sauce: Doctored Marinara
Grandma was never completely satisfied with bottled marinara sauce, but didn’t always have the time to make her own. Here are three ways she would turn a jar of supermarket marinara into a fabulous pasta topper. Hot Italian Marinara: Cook coarsely chopped bacon with minced garlic and crushed red pepper. Add to the bottled sauce. Middle Eastern Marinara: Add a pinch each of ground cinnamon, cumin, allspice and sugar to the sauce. Sausage and Onion Marinara: Cook crumbled hot or sweet Italian sausage with chopped onion. Add to sauce.
And don't miss Grandma's tips for Making Perfect "Al Dente" Pasta.
