Wednesday, July 27, 2011

How to Make Quick and Easy Pasta Dishes: Tomato Linguine, Creamy Spaghetti, and Cheesy Tortellini

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Pasta is one of the quickest and easiest foods to make. And the best part is that everybody seems to love it. For health reasons, it is best to use whole-wheat pastas. But if you are healthy and prefer regular, more power to you. Personally, I am diabetic so I always use whole-wheat. It is so good even my grandchildren can't tell the difference. Most people don't get enough fiber in their diet so using whole-grain pasta is an easy way to improve on that. Try these recipes for Linguine in Fresh Tomato Sauce, Creamy Spaghetti with Turkey Sausage and Easy Cheesy Tortellini for three very different yet tasty pasta dishes. All three of these recipes are so easy it is ridiculous!
LINGUINE IN FRESH TOMATO SAUCE
10-oz linguine noodles
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup fresh basil, chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon)
1 pint small tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp sugar (or Splenda granular for diabetics)
1/2 cup halved, pitted kalamata olives, optional
Grated Parmesan cheese
Cook linguine according to the package directions; drain and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, basil, and tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes; add the sugar and chicken broth. Cook 3 to 4 more minutes to soften the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in the linguine and olives, if using. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and the reserved tablespoon of fresh basil.
Yield: 4 servings
CREAMY SPAGHETTI WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE
6 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
3/4 pound Italian turkey sausage links, remove casings
2 tsp olive oil
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil, thinly sliced
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
Parmesan cheese
Cook spaghetti according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and add the sausage. Cook for 5 minutes. Add onion and cook an additional 10 minutes or until the sausage is no longer pink and the onion is tender. Add the tomatoes and basil, heat through. Add cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Drain the spaghetti and toss with the sausage mixture. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese.
CHEESY TORTELLINI
7-oz pkg cheese filled tortellini
1/2 lb pasteurized process cheese spread, cubed
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled, optional
Cook tortellini according to the package directions and drain.
In a saucepan, over low heat, combine the milk, nutmeg, and the cubed cheese. Cook the mixture until the cheese spread is melted. Toss the tortellini with the cheese mixture and sprinkle with crumbled bacon, if desired.
Enjoy!
For more of Linda's quick and easy recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com
For her diabetic recipes and information visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6324571