Whether you're planning a quick and casual get-together with friends or packing the freezer for busy weeknight suppers, these pasta dishes keep everyone coming back for more. Perfect for any season, they have it all: ease, versatility, and fresh flavors the whole family will love.
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Three-Cheese Baked Pasta
- Tortellini Alfredo With Prosciutto and Artichoke Hearts
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Noodle-and-Spinach Casserole
- Late-Night Pasta Chez Frank
- Ellie's Lasagna
Cook's Notes
Be careful not to overcook pasta. When preparing pasta for a casserole, keep in mind that it will continue to cook in the oven.
Save those extra bits and pieces of cheese to shred and toss with pasta. Shredded cheese, as well as pasta, absorbs liquid from the sauce, so add at the last minute to prevent the dish from drying out.
Fry leftover cooked pasta (without sauce) in a small amount of oil in a nonstick skillet. Like hash brown potatoes, the noodles will become crisp and golden brown on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.
Pantry ingredients, such as canned artichokes, roasted red bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives, are great for spur-of-the-moment pasta creations.
Fire up the flavor of commercial marinara sauce with hot and spicy salsa or a dash of dried crushed red pepper flakes. Just before serving, toss in a handful of finely chopped fresh vegetables for texture, or whisk in a little light cream cheese or sour cream for richness.
Second Helpings
Cooked pasta can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days or frozen for up to one month. Prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking for the minimum amount of time; drain and rinse under cold running water.
Toss pasta with a splash of olive oil, or lightly coat with vegetable cooking spray to prevent the strands from sticking together. Place in a zip-top plastic freezer bag, and refrigerate or freeze.
When ready to serve, remove the cold or frozen pasta from the bag, and drop into a large pot of rapidly boiling water, stirring just until hot (about 1 to 3 minutes). Drain and use as desired.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
Six Top-Rated Pasta Menus
Here are a few of our favorite menus for easy entertaining. Feel free to mix-and-match the different courses to suit your personal taste. You'll find hundreds of additional recipes on our Kitchen Assistant --just enter an ingredient or recipe title.
1. Spaghetti Supper
Sicilian Spaghetti Sauce with Linguini
Italian House Salad
Basil-Garlic Bread
Amaretto-Walnut Brownies
2. Make-Ahead Luncheon
Turkey Tetrazzini
Cranberry Relish Salad
Buttery Herb-Cheese Muffins
Double Citrus Tart
3. Saturday Night Special
Meaty Stuffed Manicotti
Caesar Salad
Garlic French Bread
Raspberry-Almond Pear Tart
4. A Taste of New Orleans
Cajun Shrimp and Andouille Alfredo Sauce Over Pasta
Mandarin Orange-and-Almond Salad
Two-Seed Bread Knots
Chocolate-Praline Cake
5. Dinner in Little Italy
Chicken Cannelloni with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce
Fruit Salad With Blackberry-Basil Vinaigrette
Italian Bread
Tiramisu Toffee Trifle Pie
6. Casual Weekend Get-Together
Easy Mexican Lasagna
Citrus-and-Avocado Salad
Beer Bread
Mocha-Pecan Fudge Ice Cream Pie
Kitchen Assistant Search:
Browse our complete list of 107 pasta recipes.
"Top-Rated Pasta" is from the April 2006 issue of Southern Living.
