Pasta is one of your best choices for a quick and easy dinner. The pasta just needs to be added to boiling water and can be cooked in less than 15 minutes. And while the pasta is boiling you can make your desired sauce. Whether you go with a tomato based topping, pesto or a creamy topping, you can be done quickly. Here are a number of tips for a quick and uncomplicated pasta dinner.

Don’t add the pasta to the water before it reaches a full boil. This will help prevent the noodles from getting soft and sticky. Also, maintain the water at a boil always. You can help the pasta remain firmer if you add some salt to the water. Note that you should not cover up the pot after you put in the pasta. You have to test now and then to see if the noodles are cooked. Pasta cooks quite rapidly and leaving it too long can give rise to mushy noodles. When the pasta is ready, take it out of the water right away. It will continue to cook if you leave it there.

With that, half of your preparation is complete. The remaining half is preparing the topping. The good thing about noodles is that there are countless options for topping it. If you’re a pasta fan then having a couple of varieties of toppings stockpiled in your refrigerator is the best way to go.

Pesto is a fast and simple topping. Add a bit of mushrooms, garlic or possibly a little Italian sausage, top it off with some shredded cheese, and you have a yummy meal in no time. Sun-dried tomatoes, either canned or bottled, also work with pasta and let you have the benefit of tomato based pasta without the usual sauce. Cover with shredded cheese and accompany it with some garlic bread for a nourishing repast. If you are in the mood for a creamy sauce, just mix some cream, oregano and sliced black olives. Top it with some shredded parmesan cheese. It’s a basic sauce but very appetizing.

Olive oil is also a staple with pasta and can be fairly simple to use as well. Try mixing olive oil with canned seafood or slices of meat or sausage. You can add some basil for flavor and don t forget the grated cheese. If you want to be daring, try including some highly spiced meat such as pepperoni.

Pasta helps you get dinner on the table in a flash. In only 15 to 20 minutes you will be able to cook a filling repast of pasta covered with a range of delicious sauces. With all the possible alternatives, it’s a fast and easy cooking meal that you will never get tired of.

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There are many of people who love Italian food above any other cuisines. Simple dishes like pasta and pizza are very popular in any age groups.. If you want to know how to cook Italian dishes, there are plenty of cooking lessons that you can learn from.

Italian cooking is not hard and basic cooking courses can teach you how to prepare simple but very tasty dishes which is often fun and relaxing. Most people enjoy a fantastic smell, appealing look and taste when preparing Italian food. The Italian kitchen has it all, from appetizers and main courses to desserts. Many who have toured Italy or tried some authentic Italian cooking will agree that it is well worth the efforts to take the time to prepare an Italian dish from scratch in order to get the full flavor and taste.

Great Appetizers

Before the main course, people usually start with a good appetizer. A famous Italian appetizer is Bruschetta which is made with French baguette, olive oil and tomatoes. Garlic bread is another appetizer that is popular. If you are watching your weight, you can opt for a salad which is also popular as an appetizer. Italians offer tomatoes and mozzarella with olive oil and basil, really tasty and light.

Delicious Main Courses

There is a lot of Italian dishes that are great main courses. Most of the best Italian dishes use pasta in them. Tomato sauce, meat sauce, Alfredo, quatro formaggi, carbonara and pasta tutti mare are just some of the dishes that are easy to make right at home with not much effort at all. While talking about pasta, let us not forget the wonderful rice dishes Italian cooking offers including risotto with mushrooms, cheese and meat.

Mouthwatering Desserts

A lot of people love desserts more than anything. There are even cooking lessons that teach you only how to make desserts. Italian desserts are almost always tasty and mouthwatering. The famous tiramisu is to die for but it is very hard to make but once you have mastered how to make it at home, you will not likely to want to eat a ready-made one again. Italian desserts also offer a wide range of ice creams and other delicious delicacies to satisfy any sweet tooth. Some desserts are easier to make than others but most of them are very tasty.

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The Italians turn plain peas and onions into a tasty and appetizing dish.

This is a side-dish that has endured in my family over many years. It’s quick to make and very easy to prepare while making a main course. It would be best to use fresh peas; although the availability may not be there, and that is why I chose to use frozen peas.

This dish goes great with beef, chicken, and pork. It’s a good looking side-dish with it’s added color; it works well as an edible garnish.

If you’re a vegetarian then you can serve this aside one of your favorite tofu dishes, further enhancing a vegetarian meal. Obviously, you will be required to multi-task; that being said this dish is rated as a difficulty of 4 instead of a 3 on a scale from 1-10. Give this fabulous side a try, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Great Italian dishes

Difficulty (Scale from 1-10): 4

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of salted butter
1/4 teaspoons of crushed red pepper
8 ounces of baby onions – chopped
2 pounds of frozen (or fresh) peas – thawed
3/4 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon of Italian parsley – chopped
salt – to taste
freshly cracked black pepper – to taste

Preparation

In a large skillet over medium heat add butter, crushed red pepper, and chopped baby onions. Fry until onions become translucent.

Add peas to skillet and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and parsley and simmer covered for about 10 minutes, or until the peas and onions are tender. There should be a thin layer of cream on the bottom of the skillet, if not, add more cream.

Sparingly sprinkle flour over pea and onion mixture, stirring until sauce is thick. Note: you may not use all of the flour.

Once thick, remove from heat and add salt and black pepper to taste and serve immediately along side of your main course. Or, keep warm until your main course is ready.

Enjoy your side dish!

By: Peter Alfieri

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The host for the cooking TV show Buon Appetito Providence. He brings simple to sophisticated cooking for all of the New England Area. His style appeals to both novice and expert chefs! Watch your local listings to see this truly fantastic cooking show. Recipes can be found here: www.BuonAppetitoProvidence.com/Recipes/Recipes.htm

Italian Riviera

Our dinner began with a salad of dandelion greens, red radicchio, and a little of the local green, … cumin, coriander, cloves and finely ground almonds and cooked them until aromatic and soft, added red wine and cooked to absorb, added a couple of chopped tomatoes, the pieces of bondiola and some beef stock just to barely cover the meat. 

Italian Meatball Recipe and Meatball History

The dish spaghetti and meatballs was created to please Americans, who preferred meat served with their pasta. It was not until the meat grinder was invented that the transition to using fresh ground meat began. 

Meat Dishes

Veal Scaloppine; Veal Piccata; Veal Pizzaiola; Veal Parmiggiana; BBQ Spare Ribs. 

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