Ideas anyone (spaghetti or penne)

[RosCoe]

I got this off the internet a few years ago. Not a cream sauce but one of our favorites and goes well with penne and is quick and easy.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

1 Cup Oil-Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes -- drained (ca. 6 oz.)
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Fresh Basil -- chopped
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts -- toasted
6 Cloves Garlic -- minced
3/4 Cup Olive Oil -- * see note

* use some from the tomatoes jar

Combine tomatoes, Parmesan, basil, pine nuts, and garlic in processor.
With machine running, gradually add oil until smooth paste forms. Add
salt and pepper to taste. Toss with hot pasta.
Ross

[mitch_the_chef]

Well i just tried the 'penne' alfredo (posted on page 1 by luvs food), and i must say it was yummuh! I did learn one thing to, that one should always make the sauce after one has already cooked the pasta. I realized that the sauce would dry to quick and would become too pasty before the pasta was done. But all was well, and I just easily made another batch after the pasta had been cooked. Thanks to all who posted recipes, it may take a while but i am determined to try all of them.

Goodbye for now!

[luvs]

Originally Posted by mitch_the_chef

Wow that sounds quick, easy and delicious, I just need to know how i should prepare it.
My best guess is to just cook the pasta until its al dante. Then i will put some cream and a little bit of butter into a saucepan. Once the butter melts I can add a little less parmeasan cheese then i had cream(maybe 1/2 or 3/4?) and season it how i want. Then once the cheese has melted and is fully encorporated into the sauce I just pour the sauce over the pasta and top it with the chicken or shrimp.
One other thing to, I was wondering if i could substitute the fettucine for penne possibly to hold the sauce to the pasta better, instead of letting it just drip to the bottom; or will the texture change all?

you got it! i use the better homes and gardens recipe; it's a betterhomes and gardens recipe. my Mom and i love it. i add more cream than they call for, though.
it calls for 1/3 c. 1/2-&1/2, light cream, or whipping cream, 1 tbsp. butter or margarine, 4 oz. dried spinach or plain fettucine, 1/3 c. grated parmesan, black pepper, and ground nutmeg.
i'd go with the heavy cream and some parm. reggiano. i add my salt, too. just a little.
i actually think this would be better with penne; the shape would definately hold the sauce very nicely. good idea!
i'm really impressed by your insight and knowledge. i think you're gonna go pretty far in life. keep it up!

[luvs]

i just read your post about you cooking the alfredo tonite. i'm glad it turned out well!
it definately does have a tendancy to get pasty.
i swear, you are probably going to end up being a chef! you are so talented for your age. that's how i was and i now i'm in the process of getting myself into a culinary school at 24. your talents will deinately pay off in the end.

[mitch_the_chef]

Hehe, thanks luvs for the compliments, and i sure hope I become a chef as that (for now) is my dream. And once again good luck to you at Cordon bleu!

[velochic]

Mitch, I think it's great that you are cooking at your age and like other talented people, if you continue to love it, you will be (or probably already are) great at what you do. Bravo to you!

But I did want to mention that the type of pasta you use is sometimes important. For example, if you have a sauce that has a lot of meat in it (like a ragu), the sauce won't get into tubes of pasta like penne, which is why string pastas are good for that. And visa versa, thinner sauces (like homemeade mac 'n' cheese) are good for tubular pastas because the sauce will get inside. The exterior texture of pastas are important too (smooth versus ridges for example).

Thinking about these little details will make you a better cook. Glad you liked the alfredo. How can you go wrong with cream and cheese... right??? Kudos to you, young man and keep up the good work!!!

ETA: I just noticed Luv's pasta shape comment. Sorry to being redundant.

[GB]

Originally Posted by velochic

if you have a sauce that has a lot of meat in it (like a ragu), the sauce won't get into tubes of pasta like penne, which is why string pastas are good for that.

I have to respectfully disagree here. I find the exact opposite to be true. I feel that tube type pastas are better for meat sauces because the meat DOES get into the tubes and that sting type pastas are not good for this type of sauce because the meat won't stick to the strands since they are so thin.

Try all sorts of different ways and see which works best for you. I am sure you will find your favorites for each particular sauce. The great thing about cooking is that there does not have to be a right or wrong. Velochic's way is right for her and my way is right for me and your way is right for you.

[velochic]

That's cool GB. I don't break up ground meats finely and find it's easier to use fork and spoon with string pastas in this situation. I respectfully disagree with you, too.

[GB]

[Constance]

Here's a good easy sauce: To a can of reduced fat cream of mushroom soup, add a cup of ricotta cheese, 2 oz reduced fat cream cheese, and a cup of grated parmesan. Stir and nuke, stir and nuke some more, add a grating of nutmeg and stir into cooked pasta, adding pimentoes, mushrooms, cooked diced chicken, or whatever. If you want to add fresh or frozen vegies, cook them in with your pasta.