A grain-free life does not have to be free of comfort food! When you're craving a big bowl of garlicky pasta, cook up these zucchini noodles aglio et olio (garlic and oil) instead. The real comfort here, other than that fragrant garlic, comes from "breadcrumbs" created from toasted almond meal; I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed their flavor and texture.
Keep reading for this protein-packed, Paleo-friendly recipe for pasta.
If you've ever brushed by a patch of stinging nettles and felt the painful, numbing tingles contact brings, then you might find mild trepidation over tackling a recipe based around the wild Spring green. Thankfully, when handled properly, this nuisance of a weed transforms from baleful brute to a silky texture and satisfying addition to all manner of meals. All in all, it's more than worth the accompanying (minor) risk involved.
Here, paired with creamy, briny feta, chewy-tender pasta, toasted slivers of almonds, and nutty sesame seeds, nettles add just the right amount of grassiness, making for a pasta dish that will keep your taste buds guessing. Whether served hot, fresh from the pot, or at room temperature, it satisfies, and then some.
Anytime I have basil on hand, I whip up a quick batch of pesto. It's so simple and keeps in the fridge for a few days. Tossed with pasta, it's a perfect weeknight meal — a healthy, sweet, and delicious variation of the typical family pasta your kids may eat. This simple pesto pasta recipe (grilled chicken totally optional but completely delicious) will have you serving up fun "green sauce" pasta in just five steps.
We've got a new partnership with the recipe, equipment, and product testing gurus at America's Test Kitchen; they'll be sharing some of their time-tested recipes and technical expertise with us. Today, America's Test Kitchen shares pasta-filling tips — and a recipe for squash ravioli — just in time for National Ravioli Day.
March 20 is National Ravioli Day—and what better way to celebrate than making your own filled pasta from scratch? With some patience, handwork, and a tasty filling, you can easily produce homemade ravioli in your own kitchen. Read on for our Test Kitchen tips for making and cooking ravioli; then, use your newfound knowledge when making our Squash Ravioli with Sage and Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce. Our recipe features a multitude of flavors—squashy, sweet, savory, buttery, herbal, and nutty—that work together to create complexity. Plus, the contrasting textures of silky filling and crunchy nuts is truly irresistible.
Dos and Don'ts for Ravioli Fillings
For the best results, a filling must be spoonable (not liquefied) so that it can be mounded onto the pasta sheets. It also should be fine-textured so that it won't cause tears in the pasta (and can be used in small amounts), and be relatively low in moisture so that it won't ooze when the filled pasta is cooked.
See more ravioli tips and the butternut squash ravioli recipe when you keep reading.
If your home is anything like mine, your pantry shelves are lined with boxes filled with a variety of pasta shapes that make their way onto the kids' plates almost every night. We serve it up in various sauces — spinach pesto! homemade tomato! meat sauce! turkey meatballs! — but until last weekend, we had never attempted to make our favorite meal from scratch. It always sounded hard, messy, and not worth the effort when a store-bought box costs under $2.
Antonella Rana, daughter-in-law of the founder the 50-year-old Italian pasta company Giovanni Rana, may have convinced me otherwise. The animated chef and mom of two at home in Verona, Italy, was in town to host a "Pasta-Making For Kids" class at her family's first US restaurant, Giovanni Rana Pastificio & Cucina. With my 7-year-old in hand, we headed downtown for a morning of ravioli making, and to our surprise, it was easier than we ever imagined — and fun, lots of fun! From Antonella's explanation of her golden rules of cooking (see below) to rolling out the dough and creating fun shapes, we had a blast — and, as with almost anything you make from scratch, it was delicious. And we weren't the only ones who thought so. The class was such a hit that the restaurant will soon be offering it on a weekly basis, so if you're in NYC, it's a fun way to spend a Sunday morning.
Keep reading for Chef Antonella's golden rules and for the recipe for ricotta mascarpone ravioli.
Comfort food lovers, listen up: we've got a recipe for truffle macaroni that takes pasta and cheese to a whole new level. This velvety stove-top version, which includes three types of cheese and truffle butter, is the most umami-packed mac we've ever had. To find out all the tips for getting the texture just right — including our secret cheese for extra creaminess! — watch our video.
Rotini, linguine, fettuccine, and ziti — you don't care what shape it is, you love noodles. Pasta has gotten a bad reputation since it's high in carbs, but don't fear the farfalle. You can enjoy pasta and still reach your weight-loss goals — just follow these tips.
When it comes to comforting Winter cuisine, pasta is always a winner. If you're a vegetarian, it's easy to partake in all of the cheesy goodness, but if you've taken on a vegan diet, it's a different story. Whether you're looking to lighten up your next meal or add a new comforting vegan dish to your cooking repertoire, these 11 delicious vegan pasta dishes are perfectly fit to fill you up with some loving comfort.
Fettuccine alfredo is notorious for being one of the heaviest Italian pastas. This healthier recipe dramatically lightens the load by making wise (low-fat) dairy choices that don't affect the flavor or texture and skipping the butter altogether. At less than 350 calories per serving, this creamy and comforting dish is a perfect dinner for a special Winter night at home.
Ready to get cooking? Keep reading for this delicious pasta recipe.
We know macaroni and cheese is a kid favorite, and smart mamas love how quick and easy it is to prepare straight from the box. But that cheesy brand might not be the healthiest option for family dinner. Try your hand at making homemade macaroni and cheese that's so easy you may never reach for the boxed stuff again. Adding prosciutto and peas kicks this recipe up a notch, making it a favorite for the entire family.
