10 GREAT PASTA RECIPES FOR LENT

Globally, pasta is perhaps, the most popular food. With over 100 varieties of noodles, it fits any cuisine and occasion depending on the sauce and sauces can be traditional or spur of the moment innovations with an infinite number of combinations depending on available ingredients. Pasta dishes are always fresh, can be quick and easy, depending on the sauce, and constantly offer room for creativity. That’s part of the fun, and appeal, of pasta. For those observing a Lenten diet, or perhaps just seeking a weekday dinner solution that’s easy and will be well received, pasta is the perfect solution.

For example, soon after I moved to Italy, I learned that the commercially bottled and labeled olive oil, sold in stores, used in hotels and large restaurants was different from the ‘house oil’ oil served in small trattorias and homes. That oil came from communal pressings in near-by towns or from family or friends who had groves, and it had enough body and flavor to stand alone. Within weeks I had worked out a favorite fast meal to make after a long day’s work; a steaming plate of capellini, tossed with oil salt, pepper and cheese. It took all of 8 min.to make and tasted divine.

Then a friend suggested I up the taste by adding spinach pasta and another advised I add tomato pasta as well and call it Pasta Bandiera or Flag Pasta because it was the color of the Italian flag. That led to a running game of devising sauces to use on the dish using only those three colors. The red was tomatoes or peppers, and the white fennel, onion, cheese, even chicken or fish but the green ran a whole range of vegetables and herbs, including pesto. As for me, I stuck to my original combo for the most part, and still do, using a quality oil, as a favorite go-to after a busy day but the story illustrates the imaginative fun and flexibility that working with pasta offers.

The only real guideline in using pasta is in pairing the sauce with the right one. Smooth sauces are best presented on long strands and flat surfaces while chunky ones are better topping shaped varieties because the crevices trap the morsels of food. Of course, the smaller the food bits, the smaller the pasta shapes needed, and the more delicate the sauce the more delicate the pasta, whereas chunkier or more rustic sauces require firmer gauges of pasta. Other than that, it’s up to the cook!

The first two recipes below are traditional.  Four are really versions of other presentations and open to experimentation or adjustment, the final four feature seafood. Aside from the giant shell dish which is a given, I mention pasta types with each recipe but only as suggestions.  If you want to see more sauce recipes, I have a series of them in the archives. Just go to the blog and select Sept. 30, 2015 and Oct. 7. 2015 from the drop down menu in the box labeled ‘Archives’ in the right margin of the page.

Recipes: * Try my favorite fast go-to as described above. There are no set measurements. It’s simply ‘to taste’ but it’s a great starting point to hone your pasta skills.

Pasta Puttanesca: Serves 4 (Spaghetti)
8 oz. pasta
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped = 1 ½ lb. or (1) 28oz. can diced, drained, juice reserved
1 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2/3 cups drained tomato juice + water to reach amount if needed
2 crushed garlic cloves
12 pitted ripe olives-sliced
8 anchovy fillets chopped
2 tsp. chopped capers
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried
In a large saucepan heat oil and cook garlic for 1 min. Add tomatoes, juice and/or water. Cover and simmer 10 min. for fresh, 5 min. for canned. Add water if needed to prevent sticking. Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered 5-8 min. Toss with cooked pasta. Serve hot garnished with parsley—NO Cheese Please!

Straw and Hay: Serves 6 (Fettucine) –VERY child friendly
8oz. spinach pasta
8oz.regular pasta
½ cup butter
1½ cups heavy cream or half and half
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1¼ cups grated Parmesan
Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside. In pasta pot or a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat and stir in cream. Keep stirring until cream thickens, lifting pot if cream starts to boil. Add pasta to pot and toss to mix with salt and pepper. Serve hot with cheese over top.
Note:* This is a mild flavored dish. For more zip, keeping it meatless, my favorite tip is to add ¼ cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese to the sauce as it cooks, and a bit of pasta water if needed, also consider adding capers, sliced green olives, anchovy paste or a few drops of hot sauce. Otherwise, 1 cup of cubed ham, turkey ham or corned beef or even an envelope of bullion powder are good options.

Stuffed Shells: Serves 4
8oz. package giant shells
3 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups half and half or milk
½ lb. Gruyere cheese or 8 oz. bar Monterey Jack shredded
2 egg yolks
½ tsp. each nutmeg and salt
¼ cup melted butter
½ cup grated Parmesan
(1) 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (flavoring optional) or tomato sauce- optional*
Cook pasta and drain. Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a saucepan over medium, stir in flour to make a paste, remove from heat, stir in milk and return to heat stirring until thickened, about 3 min. Add shredded cheese, nutmeg and salt. Keep stirring until cheese melts. Whisk in eggs and mix well. Stuff shells and place in a greased 9X 13 inch pan, drizzle with melted butter and top with Parmesan. Bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven 15 min. until golden.
NOTE *If using: 1)Place tomatoes or sauce in pan before adding shells and bake It would not show its miraculous results in case of cialis tadalafil generico no provision of timely medicines to the user. You can choose a small packet if you do not necessarily need to buy anything to get over it whereas there are some who take the issue very seriously and actually take efforts http://icks.org/n/document/ICKS@IJKS_Subscription_Form_2017.pdf 100mg viagra price to get through it and fight with it to create cyclic GMP an accurate enzyme, which roles to inflate the walls of the blood vessels. On the levitra wholesale other hand, a man with healthy lifestyle can help restore the erectile function. Ejection – Expulsion of seminal fluid from the urethra after urine or stool alone with mild urinary frequency, urgency and urine sildenafil tablets pain. together, or 2)heat tomatoes and spoon on plates before plating shells or 3)Heat and serve on the side.

Stir-Fry Primavera: Serves 4 (Rigatoni) “Primavera” means spring in Italian and this is the truest form of the dish, using all spring vegetables not even summer tomatoes.
1 lb. pasta, cooked and drained
1 medium onion in large dice
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 zucchini cut in ¼ inch slices
1 lb. asparagus cut diagonally in ¼ inch slices-tips set aside
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced and slices cut in ½ inch pieces
1 cup peas
½ lb. sliced mushrooms
6 scallions thinly sliced
6 small or 4 large red radishes, thinly sliced – optional
2 large garlic cloves minced
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
½ tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
2 Tbs. parsley
Salt and pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté garlic and onions until tender. Stir in fennel, carrot, zucchini, asparagus stems and mushrooms and cook for 2 min. Add broth, wine, basil and oregano, bring to a boil and boil until liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 min. Add peas, scallions, radish slices and asparagus tips, salt, pepper and parsley. Stir gently for 2 min. add pasta and cheese. Toss gently until well mixed. Serve with shaved Parmesan as a garnish.
TIP: To make this dish truly low-cal, substitute spaghetti squash for pasta. 1 large = 1 lb. Pasta.

Pasta with Pea Pods and Goat Cheese: Serves 8 (Bow ties or Penne)
16 oz. pasta
9 oz. pea pods- frozen is fine-large ones cut in half
1 onion halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 large red bell peppers julienned or 2 roasted jarred peppers thinly sliced
5 Tbs. butter
1 ½ cups light cream
1 Tbs. basil
6 oz. goat cheese-shredded
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Cook pasta and have ready. Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter, sauté the onion, and pepper if using raw, until tender, about 3 min. add pea pods and cook ½ -1 min. more until bright green. In a saucepan, heat cream until ready to simmer and add to vegetables, off stove, along with basil and goat cheese. Add remaining 3 Tbs. butter to hot pasta in a serving bowl and top with vegetable mixture. Toss gently and serve at once garnished with pecans.

Pasta with Artichoke Hearts: Serves 6 (Small Shells)
1 lb. pasta
(2)9 oz. boxes frozen artichoke hearts or (3) 6 oz. jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 onion halved lengthwise and sliced
1 ½ lb. tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 15 oz. can diced
¼ cup oil
½ tsp. each salt, pepper and garlic powder
1 Tbs. capers
Salt and pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley
Cook pasta according to directions. If using frozen artichokes, cook according to directions and cut in half if large. If using marinated hearts, drain, cut in half if large and use oil to replace some of that required for cooking. Saute onion in a large skillet until tender; stir in artichokes and sauté for 3 min. Add tomatoes, capers and seasonings and heat through. Toss with pasta and serve hot.

Pasta Vongole: Serves 4 (Linguini) In Italy this is made with shelled, tiny clams and I prefer it rather than the large ones served in the U.S. So I list the options. 
(2) 10.oz cans whole baby clams (juice reserved) or 2 lb. fresh clams
½ cup white wine
½ cup water-or clam juice
¼ cup oil
1 small onion-minced
4 cloves garlic-minced
¼ cup minced Italian parsley or 2 tsp. dried
¼ tsp. red pepper
1 lb. pasta
For fresh clams, rinse them well under running cold water, discarding any that don’t close when gently pressed. Bring wine and water to a boil; add clams and steam, shaking the pot occasionally, until they open, about 3 min.  Remove the clams to a bowl and strain the liquid through a cloth before adding to bowl with clams. Saute the onion in the oil until soft, about 5-8 min. Add the garlic, parsley and pepper until fragrant, about 1-2 min. Add the clams and broth and heat through. Serve at once over hot pasta.
For canned clams, reverse the order. Combine the clams and measured liquid in a bowl. Saute the onion etc. and then add the clams, with liquid and heat through.

Farfalle with Smoked Salmon:  Serves 4
3 ½ oz. smoked salmon in bite-sized pieces
¼ cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes-in small pieces
1 Tbs. olive oil-use the tomato oil
1 clove garlic-crushed
1 cup heavy cream-or half and half-not light cream
2 Tbs. cup chopped fresh chives + for garnish
2 Tbs. snipped fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried
1 tsp. mustard powder
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. lemon juice
12 oz. pasta
In a sauce pan, over low heat, sauté the garlic in the oil for 30 sec. Add the next 6 ingredients bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook stirring until sauce thickens. Add the lemon juice and salmon and heat through. Toss with cooked pasta and serve topped with the tomatoes and chopped herbs.

Spicy Shrimp Mexican: Serves 4 (rigatoni)
1 ½ lb. raw shrimp-peeled and deveined
1 Tbs. oil
2 cloves garlic-crushed
2 red chilies –finely chopped
3 scallions –sliced
10 oz. bottled salsa-hot preferably
1 ½ cups heavy cream –or half and half-not light cream
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 lb. rigatoni
Saute the garlic, chilies and scallion in the oil over medium heat, for 2 min. add the shrimp and cook for 5-8 min. until shrimp are slightly brown. Add the cream and salsa, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, stirring until thickened. Plate hot pasta first, spoon sauce over and serve garnished with parsley.

Salmon and Shells Mornay: Serves 4 (small conchiglie(shells) are better here)
2 Tbs. butter
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic-crushed
1 Tbs. flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbs. lemon juice
(1) 14 oz. can salmon-drained and flaked
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
16 oz. pasta
Salt and pepper
Combine the milk, sour cream and lemon juice. Saute the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, about 3 min. Add the flour and stir until blended about. Add the milk mix and stir over medium heat until sauce thickens. Add the salmon and parsley and heat through. Toss with the hot, cooked pasta and serve at once.