
Archive for the ‘PASTA’ Category
Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta Skillet
This is an easy one skillet dish that is extremely good and very versatile. Lot of things to change in this to suit your taste. I made this on 4 Oct 2016, recipe modified slightly and some step by step photos added, my comments below.
Ingredients
- 500 grams smoked sausage, OR ham, brats, or even plain quality hotdogs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, you choice of color, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
- 3 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, with the juice as well
- 2-3 Bird's Eye Chilis, chopped
- 500 grams dry spiral pasta, any bite size pasta will work
- 1-2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, OR Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in skillet and brown the sliced sausage, onion, garlic, and bell pepper.
- Add, salt, pepper, chicken stock, tomatoes and juice, chilies, and pasta. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, and let cook uncovered, or until pasta is tender and just some of the liquid remains, about 20-30 minutes.
- Mix in the cheese and serve.
Notes
I get good quality smoked sausage at Makro for about 150 Baht/500 grams. One cup of cheese is about 1/2 of a 250 gram block (180 Baht), so I'll go with 90 Baht for the cheese. For 6 servings, I will estimate about $1.18 per serving. Good value overall.
Variants: 1. Add fresh sliced mushrooms. 2. Use fresh tomatoes but you will need tomato juice (just a bit) as well. 3. If you like cheese, use the whole block. 4. Add taco seasoning and use Cheddar cheese and you have a taco pasta dish. Variants add cost however but can change up the dish from one time you prepare it to the next.
Variants provided by good friend, Lynn Batterman, United States.
Toss in some Basil, Thyme, Oregano, and you have a great Italian dish. Leave out the sausage, but saute some chicken breast/thighs first, then add the rest with the herbs, and it's Chicken Cacciatore. Add paprika and you have Goulash. What you've done is reveal how EASY cooking can be... just add a few different herbs/spices, or even bake vs. pan fry, roast, and it becomes a whole different meal from a different country even though they are very similar. The biggest differences are the HOT dishes from various countries, India heat vs. Thai, vs. Jamaican, vs. Tex-Mex, is so different.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Toss in some Basil, Thyme, Oregano, and you have a great Italian dish. Leave out the sausage, but saute some chicken breast/thighs first, then add the rest with the herbs, and it's Chicken Cacciatore. Add paprika and you have Goulash. What you've done is reveal how EASY cooking can be... just add a few different herbs/spices, or even bake vs. pan fry, roast, and it becomes a whole different meal from a different country even though they are very similar. The biggest differences are the HOT dishes from various countries, India heat vs. Thai, vs. Jamaican, vs. Tex-Mex, is so different.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta Skillet
Sounds really good, pasta and cheese with chicken, perfect. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 250 grams small pasta, uncooked, spirals, macaroni, shells, or penne
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped plus juice
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
- 2 1/2 cups water, more as needed
- 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2/3 cup heavy cream, OR make from a shortcut
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Using a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil and add in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the pasta, chopped tomatoes and juice, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and 2 1/2 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Let this simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring often until the pasta is tender. Add more water as needed.
- When the pasta is tender, stir in the heavy cream and chicken and continue simmering until the sauce is thickened just a bit. Remove from heat and mix in the Parmesan cheese and parsley. Top with the Mozzarella cheese and cover for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with a vegetable on the side for a complete meal.
Notes
Nothing really expensive in this dish, easily $1 per serving or less.
Shortcut: Heavy Cream.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
Cheeseburger Macaroni
This was a staple dinner for many families when I was growing up, easy to put together, can use ground beef or pork. I have posted similar recipes. I made this on 15 Nov 2016, took one photo as shown, and this is delicious! On my #1 Go-To List.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, OR minced pork
- 1 onion, diced, OR 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1¼ cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 2 cups milk
- 1½ cups dry macaroni, or any bite site pasta
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced, OR 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1¾ cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the paprika, corn starch, pepper, and sugar.
- In a large non-stick skillet, brown the ground beef, garlic, and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the fat.
- Add milk, broth, and pasta to the beef. Stir in cornstarch and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 9-12 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, mix until melted, serve.
Notes
Ground beef would cost about 150 Baht/500 grams, minced pork runs about 60 Baht/500 grams. The cheese would be about 140 Baht as not a full block would be needed. For 4 servings using beef, this is about $2.13 per serving, using pork, this is about $1.48, a bit more reasonable and would be a good meal with friends and family, once in a while.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here. Canada.
Updated on 27 March 2025.
Creamy Garlic Pasta
This is a base recipe that is open to have anything added like shrimp or chicken for a main dish, or as is as a side dish. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 250 grams spaghetti
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder, plus a little extra
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, OR use milk, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
Instructions
- In a medium sized pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add butter and melt, stirring constantly, then add the salt, pepper, and 3 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta and cook until just done. Add a little more stock if the noodles start to stick to the bottom. Reduce heat and add the cheese, cream, and parsley and mix thoroughly to heat through. Serve immediately as is for a side dish.
- For a main dish, feel free to add 1-2 cups of any of the following: cooked diced chicken, cooked cubed ham, cooked shrimp (remember to take the tails off), even sliced smoked sausage. Also consider adding steamed broccoli, cauliflower, pea pods, asparagus, or even baby corn.
Notes
As a side, this is minimal cost. Adding a meat and even the vegetables to make a main dish, this is still under $1 per serving for 4 servings.
Shortcut: Heavy Cream.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Italian Spaghetti with Ham
Sounds really good, quick and easy. This is a buttered pasta with ham and black olives. Lots of room for changes to this. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 250 grams spaghetti
- 2 cups cooked ham, cubed
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup butter, this is 1/4 of a standard block of butter, or to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water, drain well..
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the 1 tablespoon of butter in a large non stick pan and cook the garlic and ham. Turn down heat to low and stir in the pasta, cheese, eggs, olives, and half of the parsley, when the eggs are cooked, remove from heat and salt butter to taste. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.
Notes
The ham slices, 2 thick slices was about 100 Baht from Makro is about 2 cups diced. All the rest is minimal cost. This comes out to about 75 cents per serving for 4 servings. Very economical meal.
Variants, add peas, and a bit of Cream cheese, substitute the ham for cooked cubed chicken, or even Italian sausage or even smoked spicy sausage.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Creamy Ham & Mushroom Pasta
Sounds very nice. This is one of those recipes that you can substitute the ham for chicken, add some vegetables, etc, to make this dish many different ways. Very universal recipe. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 400 grams dry Penne pasta
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 250 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced, King Oyster, Button, Shiitake, etc
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
- 5 slices cooked ham, start with 2 cups of cubed ham
- 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon corn flour
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
- splash olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until just cooked. Drain and cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until just soft, then add the mushroom and cook for another 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and ham and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the evaporated milk and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Meanwhile, mix together the corn flour and 1 tablespoon water until it forms a smooth paste. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Add the cooked pasta, salt, pepper, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to the pan and toss until well combined. Serve with a green salad for a complete meal.
Notes
The ham, I would estimate at 2 to 3 cups of cubed, would be about 100 to 125 Baht. Everything else is low cost. This comes out to about 92 cents per serving for 4 servings. Excellent value for this meal.
Variants, use cooked cubed chicken in place of ham for additional savings.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Garlic Chicken Primavera
This seems like a easy sounding Penne recipe cooked in one skillet.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- 2 cups fresh asparagus, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 4 cups Penne pasta
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the Penne pasta in a pot of boiling water until tender but still firm. Drain, set aside.
- Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Cook garlic and chicken until no pink is showing. Add asparagus, tomatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper, cooking for about 2 minutes. Add cooked pasta and Parmesan, stirring until cheese is melted and evenly distributed. Serve!
Notes
Two chicken breasts might be 30 baht, the Parmesan will be about 140 baht. This comes out to about $1.25 per serving for 4 servings.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Anchovy & Garlic Pasta
Lot of room for changes as you see fit. This can be a main dish or a very nice side dish. I made this last night on 14 Aug 2016, very nice flavor but nothing to write home about. I made this again on 1 Nov 2016 and modified the recipe to reflect new findings, less oil and used Fettuccine pasta, much much better.
Ingredients
- 1 tin anchovy fillets, in olive oil, this is a 47 to 55 gram tin
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 3-4 spirals Fettuccine pasta
- ground black pepper, to taste
- fresh parsley, chopped, optional
- Parmesan cheese, grated, optional
Instructions
- Fettuccine that I buy, and all brands that I have seen here, the pasta is in little spirals in the package. I normally use 3-4 spirals for 2-3 servings. This is a 250 gram pack that has 6 spirals, this is imported from Italy and is surprisingly low cost. One spiral is about 40 grams.
- Cook pasta in a pot of boiling water until just tender, about 5 minutes, drain well, and set aside.
- Heat a heavy non-stick skillet over low heat, add the garlic and open the tin of anchovies and dump the contents into the pan, season with black pepper to your liking, use a spatula to break up the anchovies a bit most will basically melt into the olive oil and cook until garlic just begins to color, 3-5 minutes.
- Add the pasta and mix to coat the pasta well and heat through, remove from heat. This is 2 spirals of pasta used.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese if desired. A green salad on the side would be good with this.
Notes
The anchovies cost me 125 Baht per 47 gram tin. For 2 servings, this is about $1.84 per serving. The cost is due to imported anchovies. Overall not a bad price for a once in a while meal.
Variants: 1. Add sliced spring onions, fresh chopped basil, diced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms such as Shiitake or King Oyster. 2. Add cubed cooked chicken, Italian sausage, etc. 3. Use spaghetti noodles or Soba noodles.
Updated on 12 October 2024.
Paprika Chicken Thighs with Spinach and Pasta
Sounds good! On my to cook list. For the pasta, think wide fettuccine.
Ingredients
- 250 grams wide Fettucinne pasta
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon paprika, OR smoked paprika if you have that
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcherstershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon tobasco sauce
- 8 chicken thighs, buy quarters, use the thighs, let the other half use the legs
- olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2-3 cups spinach, fresh or frozen (thawed)
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs, like dill or parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the noodles and cook until tender.
- While the pasta is cooking, place the tomato paste in a small bowl and stir in 1/4 cup of the boiling pasta water. Stir in the paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco sauce.
- Preheat a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Drizzle the chicken thighs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet, you will need to do batches. Cook until browned on the bottom, about 5-7 minutes (cover with a lid). Flip and baste liberally with the paprika paste. Brown the other side, about 5-7 minutes longer (cover with a lid), then flip again and brush with more of the paprika paste (cover with a lid). Make sure the chicken is cooked through, cut one open to check.
- In another large non stick skillet, add about 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter to melt over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook for 3 minutes. Add the spinach to wilt (or heat through the thawed spinach). Drain the egg noodles and add to the spinach along with the herbs, if using. Divide among 4 plates and serve with 2 chicken thighs each.
Notes
For the chicken, you can use chicken thighs bought like that but the cost is 74 Baht/kilo and the thighs are small, or buy quarters at 68 Baht/kilo (larger thighs!) and separate the thighs and use those, give the legs to your family to make a meal or freeze and use for a later dish or a BBQ! I will estimate 90 Baht for the chicken, for 4 servings this is about 67 cents per serving. Over all, very good.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Greek Ziti
Feel free to use Ziti or Penne pasta, it is the same, one is square cut and one is cut at angles. This sounds like a really good meal.
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 250 grams pasta, Ziti, Penne, or any bite size pasta
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, simmer the chicken broth and the oregano until about 1/2 cup of liquid remains in the pan, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken cubes, cover the pan, and remove it from the heat. Let the chicken steam in the hot broth until just done, about 8 minutes.
- In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss it with the chicken mixture, the feta, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir until the cheese is completely melted. Toss in the cherry tomatoes. Serve.
Notes
I bought chicken breast just 3 days ago, chicken breasts, 3 were 65 Baht. For 4 servings, even with the cheese, this is under $1 per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.