Editors of Adams Media - The 50 Best Pasta Recipes. Tasty, Fresh, and Easy to Make!

The 50 Best
Pasta Recipes Tasty, fresh, and easy to make! Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc. Avon, Massachusetts Contents Introduction Food is the best traveler, or so they say. Many cultures have created variants of different types of dishes, and pasta is no exception. This delicious noodle has made appearances in such locales as Italy, China, Japan, Poland, Germany, and France, each under a different name and cooked in a very unique style. Many credit Marco Polo for bringing pasta to Italy from China in 1292, after having the dish at the court of Kubla Kahn. If this is accurate, that puts pastas age at almost one thousand! And it hasnt stopped since, spreading across nearly every continent and undergoing different preparations.

Pasta even became a part of everyday slang in the mid-eighteenth century; it was so popular that macaroni became slang for terrific! (Which explains why Yankee Doodle reacted to the feather in his hat with the utterance, Macaroni!) For all its travels, the spirit and heart of pasta will always belong to Italy. Whether its pasta with meatballs or baked pasta with vegetables or even blueberry ravioli (really!), there is no doubt that pasta has become a staple for most people. But pasta is versatile, and can be prepared in so many ways that weve gathered fifty recipes here for you to experiment with. From Asian-influenced noodles to creamy pasta salads, weve got it all. Enjoy! Tomato-Basil Fettuccine Basil is a hearty herb thats one of the easiest to grow at home. In fact, its so hearty and easy to grow, youll probably be giving your basil away at every opportunity.

Serves 3 Ingredients pound of tomato fettucine cup of extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 cups of diced tomatoes cup of chopped basil Salt and pepper to taste cup of chicken stock cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, about thirty seconds.
2. Add the garlic and saut until soft. Then add the tomatoes and basil and season with the salt and pepper. Saut for about five minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock and bring the entire mixture to a simmer.
4. In a separate large pot, bring at least 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil.

   Add 1 tablespoon of salt. When the water is boiling, add the pasta, cooking according to the directions on the box. Drain.

5. Combine the pasta with the sauce in the skillet. Stir to combine, and top with the Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Cacciatore You no longer have to go out to a restaurant to get a good plate of cacciatore! This recipe is an easy way to have gourmet at home. Chicken Cacciatore You no longer have to go out to a restaurant to get a good plate of cacciatore! This recipe is an easy way to have gourmet at home.

Serves 6 Ingredients cup of vegetable oil One 3 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces 1 cup finely chopped onions pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 clove of garlic, minced One 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes in juice cup dry red wine 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 bay leaf, crumbled 1 pound rotelle pasta cup chopped parsley

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Pat the chicken dry and brown it in batches, but dont crowd the pan. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of oil. Add onions and mushrooms and saut until the onions are golden brown.
3. Add the tomatoes with juice, wine, chicken (with any juices that have accumulated in bowl), oregano, and bay leaf, then simmer, covered.
4. Add the tomatoes with juice, wine, chicken (with any juices that have accumulated in bowl), oregano, and bay leaf, then simmer, covered.

   Stir occasionally for about 30-35 minutes or until chicken is tender, and use the spoon to break up the tomatoes.

5. In a separate pot, bring at least 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the rotelle and stir, cooking according to package directions. Drain.
6. Transfer the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat.

   Move the mixture to a large serving bowl and garnish with parsley.

Pasta e Fagioli Also known as pasta and bean soup, this hearty stew is a great opener to any meal. But be warned, sometimes guests enjoy it so much they never make it to the entre! Serves 10 Ingredients 1 pound dried chickpeas 4 gallons vegetable stock 4 shallots 1 bulb garlic 2 celeriac (celery root) 2 pounds plum tomatoes bunch fresh parsley 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups cooked bite-size pasta of choice cup fresh-grated Asiago cheese Fresh-cracked black pepper

1. Sort through the chickpeas, discarding any stones. In a large stockpot, simmer the peas in 2 gallons of the stock for approximately 2 to 3 hours, until the beans are tender. Drain.
2. Peel and finely chop the shallots, garlic, and celeriac.

   Clean and chop the tomatoes and parsley.

3. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium temperature. Saut the shallots, garlic, and celeriac for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and saut for 1 minute. Add the remaining stock, the chickpeas, and parsley.
4. Just before serving, stir in the pasta (and beans, only if canned are used).
5. Just before serving, stir in the pasta (and beans, only if canned are used).

   Sprinkle each serving with the cheese and pepper.

Shocking Pasta! When a soup recipe calls for pasta, never add the uncooked pasta to the pot to cook along with the soup. Instead, cook it separately, and shock it with cold water as soon as you drain it. It should be cooked only al dente, because it will cook more in the hot soup. Add it to the soup just before serving. Gnocchi Literally translated, the word gnocchi means lumps in Italian.

These potato-based dumplings are sometimes called potato pasta. Serves 10 Ingredients 2 cups durum wheat (semolina) flour 1 teaspoon iodized salt 3 eggs 1 cup cooked mashed potato cup olive oil 2 tablespoons water

1. Sift together the flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the potato, oil, and water, and stir to mix.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the egg mixture.
3. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients by hand or in a mixer with a dough hook until fully incorporated and the dough forms into a ball.

   Use 2 spoons to form the dough into ovals about teaspoon in size.

4. To cook, bring a large pot of water to a slow boil. Add the pasta, and stir to prevent sticking. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes, until al dente. Drain, and serve.

Go Gnuts for Gnocchi A tip for making your gnocchi come out perfectly is to cook the mashed potato at least 1 or 2 hours ahead of time.

Set it aside in a glass bowl and cover with a cloth. Letting the potatoes stand like this for a few hours helps them lose some of their moisture, thereby producing the perfect texture. Pasta with Basic Beef Meatballs You can serve this dish as is, with the pasta, but the meatballs are so tasty you may consider serving them as an appetizer with toothpicks. Serves 10 Ingredients 5 thick slices day-old or toasted Italian bread bulb garlic bunch fresh parsley 1 pounds lean ground beef 1 egg, lightly beaten cup fresh-grated Parmesan or Romano cheese Fresh-cracked black pepper One package of pasta One jar of tomato sauce

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