What are some easy pasta recipes that aren't as commonplace as spaghetti?

I'm getting tired of normal spaghetti, alfredo sauce, etc and I want to try making something a little different.





I'm not the best chef in the world, though, so I want something relatively foolproof.What are some easy pasta recipes that aren't as commonplace as spaghetti?
easiest lasagna





Lasagna Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee


Show: Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee


Episode: Movie and Music Night





Salt


1 package lasagna noodles


1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef


1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped


1 teaspoon minced garlic


1 tablespoon dried oregano


2 cans tomato soup


2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar


Nonstick cooking spray


2 cups cottage cheese (small curd)


2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese





Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain and arrange in casserole (see below).


While noodles are boiling, brown beef in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, adding chopped onion, garlic and oregano to meat as it cooks. When meat has browned, drain off fat and then add tomato soup and apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 20 minutes.





Preheat oven for 350 degrees F.





Spray a medium casserole dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Lay noodles lengthwise across bottom of casserole dish. Spread a layer of cottage cheese over top of noodles. Add a layer of meat mixture, then cover with mozzarella cheese and repeat for a total of 3 layers. Finish with a layer of cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.What are some easy pasta recipes that aren't as commonplace as spaghetti?
good recipes....you will be eating good.....


try this website....www.allrecipes.com they have some real good recipes Enjoy
Try an Arrabiata sauce.





Fry 2 or 3 chopped onions plus a clove of garlic and a red chili in a little oil. (Take out the seeds if you do not want the sauce to be too hot! If you like it hot, add more.). Add a tin of tomatoes, plus 4 or 5 fresh chopped tomatoes - skinned if you want. Add oregano and simmer gently for about 30 mins. Season.








Tastes good with penne, but you can choose another pasta shape if you want to. Eat with a mixed salad and some bread - ciabatta would be nice.





Will feed 2 or 3. Can be frozen for up to a month.
I think because spagetti is easier to manage, at least better thatn the pasta.
( pastaweb) try this page it has a lot of good recipes for making pasta and different sauces.
This is pretty yum and easy (it looks like a lot of ingredients, but really is simple) good luck!:





INGREDIENTS





375g shell pasta


录 cup (60ml) vegetable stock


1 clove garlic, crushed


500g button mushrooms,


sliced thickly


1 cup (125g) frozen peas


4 green onions, sliced thinly


1 litre (4 cups) skim milk


1陆 tablespoons cornflour


2 tablespoons water


录 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


1 tablespoon seeded mustard


陆 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan cheese


2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives





METHOD





Cook pasta in large saucepan of boiling water, uncovered, until just tender; drain, keep warm.





Bring stock to a boil in same cleaned saucepan; cook garlic and mushrooms, stirring, until mushrooms soften and liquid evaporates. Stir in peas and half of the onion; cook, stirring, until onion softens.





Add milk and blended cornflour and water; cook, stirring, over low


heat until sauce boils and thickens slightly.





Remove sauce from heat; stir in pasta, remaining onion, parsley, mustard and cheese. Serve sprinkled with chives.








Serving suggestion: Serve with crusty sourdough bread.


Tips: Toss pasta through sauce just before serving - it will soak up all the sauce if tossed too early. Swiss brown, flat or oyster mushrooms could be used instead of button.
1 1/2 lbs fresh, ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped


8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes


4 T extra virgin olive oil, the best you can get


1 t red wine vinegar


1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, washed, dried and shredded


salt and freshly ground black pepper


1 lb pasta, penne pasta


1 - 2 cloves garlic (optional), chopped fine


a bit of hot pepperpeperoncino(optional)





An hour or so before your meal, using a wooden spoon, mix the mozzarella, tomatoes, oil and vinegar (optional garlic and/or hot pepper)in a deep bowl.


Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.


Cover with a clean dishcloth and let it sit at room temperature for an hour or so.


Add the basil and toss well.


Cook the pasta, remove when al dente, with a bite to it.


Drain the pasta and return to the warm pasta pot.


Pour on the tomato mixture and toss.


Check again for seasoning.


Place in serving bowl and serve.





There are heaps more on the website below aswell:
Whole what angel hair pasta tossed with extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, steamed broccoli and red peppers.





Baked Ziti





Vegetable lasagna
This is my recipe for macaroni and cheese


for about 8 cups of cooked macaroni


in a pot put half a stick of margarine until melted then add one can of tomato sauce, put the drained pasta and add shredded cheese, you can use mozzarella, (preferably if you can get the Mexican cheese asadero type is best), a little bit of salt and pepper, on medium low heat and mix ocassionally until cheese is melted, hope you try it, you will like it...
I always substitute a large jar or can of spaghetti sauce instead of the tomato sauce %26amp; I do not precook the manicotti shells, as they will cook in the sauce, just increase the baking time to 1 hr. Remove from oven %26amp; cover with shedded Mozzerella cheese. Return to oven till cheese melts.








Meat-Stuffed Manicotti Recipe


recipe is ready in 1-2 hrs Ready in: 1-2 hrs








Serves/Makes: 8

















Ingredients:


1 package (8-oz. size) manicotti shells


Water


1 tablespoon butter


1 pound ground beef


3/4 pound ground pork


1 onion -- chopped


1 clove garlic -- minced


12 ounces grated Mozzarella cheese -- divided


2 eggs


1 teaspoon beef base


1 teaspoon salt


1/2 teaspoon oregano


1/2 teaspoon basil


1/4 teaspoon pepper


2 cans (15-oz. size) tomato sauce





Directions:





Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook manicotti shells in water according to package directions; drain well.





In large skillet, melt butter. Add ground beef, pork, onion and garlic. Saute until browned; drain off excess fat. Add 2-1/2 cups of the cheese, eggs, beef base, salt, oregano, basil and pepper. Blend well.





Fill manicotti shells with mixture. In a 2-quart shallow baking dish, spread some of the tomato sauce on bottom to cover. Layer filled manicotti shells. Pour remaining tomato sauce over. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; cover with foil.





Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more or until sauce is bubbly.





This recipe for Meat-Stuffed Manicotti serves/makes 8
My family loves Alfredo .. You can use any kind of noddle ,even though I think angel hair is the best, they make very good jar Alfredo sauce .. And to make it even better grill some chicken breasts to put on top .. You will not be in the kitchen long , and everyone will love it ..
Pasta Rosa-Verde





8 ounces dried ziti or mostaccioli pasta


1 medium onion, thinly sliced


2 cloves garlic, minced


1 tablespoon olive oil


4 to 6 medium tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (3 cups)


1 teaspoon salt


1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)


3 cups arugula, watercress, and/or spinach, coarsley chopped


1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted


2 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese





Directions


1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Cover and keep warm. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook onion and garlic in hot olive oil over medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and, if desired, red pepper. Cook and stir over medium-high heat about 2 minutes or until the tomatoes are warm and release some of their juices. Stir in arugula, watercress, or spinach and heat just until greens are wilted.





2. To serve, divide pasta among individual serving bowls. Top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts or almonds and cheese. Makes 4 main-dish servings.
Cook a package of tortellini and when it is done toss with a little extra virgin Olive oil, some minced garlic and asigo (or what ever grated cheese you have on hand)cheese. You can add chopped basil leaves, chopped tomatoes if you want. Quick and easy
Baked Ravioli





(AKA Cheaters Lasagna)





1pkg. frozen ravioli (any style)


1 lb Italian sausage


1 jar spaghetti sauce (your favorite)


1 pkg. mozzarella cheese, shredded





Heat oven to 350 degrees. Take a 13 x 9 baking pan and pour your frozen ravioli in it. Set aside.





Brown sausage, drain if you want to save the calories. Add spaghetti sauce, heat to boiling. Season to taste. Pour over your ravioli. Cover pan, bake for one hour.





Remove from oven, take off the cover. Sprinkle the cheese on top, put back in the oven until it is melted. Serves about 6.
make some chilli pasta and add some cooked chicken pieces .my man loves em.
Gnocchi





Penne Mediterranean from Bravo's Restaurants





Vegetable Lasagne
1 package of 4 cheese tortellini


1 lb of ground round


1 sm onion


2 cans of spaghetti sauce (not as sweet as jarred spaghetti sauce)


1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese





In a skillet brown the ground round and onion. When that is through put the spaghetti sauce in and let it simmer.


Cook the tortellinii according the the directions on box....drain all the water. Add the sauce meat mixture and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.


In a oven proof casserole dish put in the tortellin mixture. Put mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.
THis is one of my all time favorite recipes!





1 lb. dry pasta (campanelli works best, but if you don't have on hand, fusilli works well too)


3/4 c. balsamic vinegar


5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil


1 lb. asparagus (trimmed into 1-inch pieces)


1 medium red one(halved and sliced, NOT CHOPPED)


1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes


1 c. chopped fresh basil


1 Tbsp. lemon juice


1 cup shaved Pecorino (or romano, parmesean, any hard italian cheese)





1. Cook pasta in slightly salted water according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.


2. Just before putting pasta in boiling water, bring balsamic vinegar to boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer slowly until reduced to 1/4 cup (will be syrupy), 15-20 min. DO NOT under cook, it will be sour, DO NOT over cook, it will taste burnt. The vinegar should taste sweet when it is cooked right.


3. While pasta and balsamic are going, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in skillet until shiny. Add asparagus, onion, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Cook, without stirring until asparagus begins to brown. Then stir and continue to cook (stirring only occasionally) until asparagus is tender-crisp and onion is soft.


4. Add asparagus mixture, basil, lemon, 1/2 c. cheese, and 3 Tbsp. oil to pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately, drizzled with balsamic glaze and sprinkled with remaining cheese.
ok so i seen there is already a lasagna recipe on here, but i think mine is a little bit easier, esp if your not used to cooking!





1/4 c Parmesan cheese


1 pkg shredder mozzarella cheese


2 c cottage cheese


1 egg


1 lb ground beef


9 lasagna noodles


1 jar pasta sauce (your choice of flavor)








brown the ground beef, drain off the fat. Mix the meat with the pasta sauce and sit aside. Cook the lasagna noodles in rapid boiling water until firm (about 10-15 min). mix in a bowl the 1/4 c Parmesan, 2 c cottage cheese, and 1 egg.





in a baking dish put a thin layer (1/2-3/4 c) of sauce/meat mixture on the bottom of the pan and place 3 noodles on top. spread the cheese mixture on the noodles, and add another layer of noodles pouring on the remaining sauce, and add the mozzarella cheese. back 30-35 min at 375. let sit 3-5 minutes, top with Parmesan cheese and serve








I normally use more noodles that the recipe calls for (as many as the dish can hold!) and i put some sauce on top of the cheese layers, think it makes it mix better, also i use 2 jars of pasta sauce. but make it how you want, either way it should be tasty!
1 onion, chopped


1 yellow bell pepper, chopped


1 Tbsp. olive oil


1 tsp. curry powder


14 oz. can ready to serve chicken broth


12 oz. pkg. frozen peeled cooked shrimp, thawed, tails removed


1 cup frozen peas


6 oz. pkg. couscous





In large saucepan saute onion and bell pepper in olive oil until crisp tender. Add broth, curry powder, shrimp, and peas. Bring to boiling, then add couscous and stir well. Cover and remove pan from heat. Let stand 4-6 minutes, covered, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender. Stir and serve. 4 servings.





Couscous is a delicious and inexpensive noodle.
I make a really easy sauce for any pasta shape using equal parts butter and olive oil. I heat it in a pan with chopped garlic for about 10 minutes, to give the garlic time to cook a little bit. Then just before I am ready to toss, I add freshly grated parmesan or asiago cheese and freshly chopped parsley. It is so easy and my husband LOVES it!!