201 Meals in Minutes- Pasta Fantasta

Sometimes you just need a quick meal, one that can be literally made in minutes. A dish that can be put together in a shorter time than it would take to order a pizza (and have delivered) to pick up a take-a-way. Pasta fits the bill perfectly- it is very handy food and can be very adapted into many dishes, it is very satisfying and it doesn't need peeling! I can be eating within 20 minutes!
You could fall back on a store bought sauce or even worse a packet, but it is no comparison with fresh, contains far too much salt and a homemade sauce is almost as easy anyway not to mention cheaper!
What are the options: You could go for an all time favourite: macaroni cheese but it does get a bit monotonous after a while. You could go for Dutch macaroni but that is way over the top- an Italian nightmare! They are obviously out of their comfort zone because packet mixes are very popular. It is a tomato based sauce with way too many ingredients to have any particular flavour and how ever short you cook the pasta it always ups up mushy!
When I'm in a hurry and that happens a lot due to business commitments. We run a flexible company and sometimes accommodating to other people’s needs means I am often left with little time in the kitchen but hungry mouths to feed!
Just before I reach for the pasta pot I open my fridge.
I glance around (the joys of having a well stocked fridge) for what I have on hand for inspiration to put together up a delicious pasta with sauce. Now the Italians eat a lot of pasta and little sauce but I prefer a good heaping of sauce. I do adhere to the Italian concept and choose out a few ingredients and not too many flavours like in Dutch Macaroni!
An example is a few weeks ago when I was time limited and needed to come up with a healthy dish and quick. I had some left over pesto sauce in the fridge so I decided to make:
Pesto pasta
Pasta 300gr
1 bell pepper red
2 large tomatoes (sliced)
1 courgette (cubed, not too small)
1 clove garlic
salt pepper
white sauce: 40gr butter 40gr cornflour Note: plain flour will do but cornflour (maizena) will give a much better result 450ml milk
bacon cubes about 250gr
1 large onion chopped
red pesto sauce (fresh- very easy to make or jar will do fine)
paprika pepper
chili flakes
fresh basil leaves and pine nut kernels.
Parmesan cheese
Serves 4

Toast pine nuts (dry in a pan). Keep to one side.
Boil large pan of water.
Depending on the leanness of your bacon you can add a little frying fat (I always use mild olive oil) to the pan. Fry bacon pieces with onion until cooked but not overdone. Remove from pan with slotted spoon. Set aside in a dish. Heat the same pan and add courgette, garlic, bell pepper and stir-fry, lastly add tomatoes and a sprinkling of ground sweet paprika cook briefly until vegetables are al dente.
Add a large knob of butter, make roux with cornflour. It's very easy melt the butter add the corn flour and stir with a wooden spoon, Cook for a few minutes, you should have a smooth paste. Add milk, all at once or in parts whatever you feel comfortable with. Heat gently- keep stirring ( the lumps will disappear as the sauce becomes warm)and DON'T leave the pan! Boil to thicken, keep stirring for a few minutes. Add pinch chili flakes, pepper (salt if necessary). Add onion/bacon mix heat. Add pesto (to taste a good couple of tablespoons), extra parmesan if desired and roughly ripped basil leafs. (I also had a half a carton creme fraiche leftover so I added that)
The pasta needs careful timing and should be added to the boiling water be ready simultaneously with the sauce. Obviously each pasta sort has its own cooking time. Cook al dente (with a bite) Drain and add vegetables, mix carefully.
Serve pasta-vegetable mix on plates, pour on sauce, add pine nuts and whole basil leaves.

Pasta with Fennel and leek
2 small Leeks
1 large Fennel
250gr diced bacon
White sauce (see above)
Diced cheese of choice
Salt Pepper, Nutmeg
(Olive) oil
Serves 4
Yesterday I had to prepare a quick meal for my working son-you have guessed it- Pasta.
I glanced in the fridge and came out with leek and fennel. That was the basis for my sauce.
I had some diced bacon.
I proceeded as above. I set the bacon/ onion mix (this time two small shallots) aside and cooked the fennel in the bacon juices with a little more olive oil, added the leek and cooked for a few minutes, added a good grind of fresh nutmeg, salt and pepper. I love re-cycling my pans, even though I have a dishwasher.
I made the basic white sauce and added some diced cheese, don't worry about grating it will melt sufficiently, I prefer having cheesy lumps when it adds to the enjoyment. It was delicious, in particular the fennel a pleasant aniseed taste still with enough bite.

One of our all time favourites is fresh spinach. A bit like Spinach Lasagna with less than half the cooking time! Just add the cooked, well drained and chopped spinach to the basic sauce with your choice if cheese. Cover with extra grated cheese and flash it under a grill if you require the crispy topping associated with lasagna.
The kids will love it! Sauces are a sure good way of getting children to eat their vegetables and to drink their milk at the same time!
You will feel clever using up ingredients that are (almost) past their best, that blue cheese that is rather too strong than is pleasant will make an excellent pasta sauce.
You not only have a satisfying meal but also a relatively healthy one with protein, carbohydrate and vegetables.

Do you have a major time limit: substitute bacon for ham or (smoked) salmon. Or even smoked chicken or tinned tuna. Prawns or white fish is delicious, unfortunately two persons here refuse (as yet) to eat fish.
I hope you are beginning to see the versatility of pasta.
You can add virtually any kind of vegetable; leek, fennel, celery, broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes, courgette, chicory, spinach. Or tinned artichoke.
Add anchovies, capers, olives or (fresh) herbs; parsley, basil, sage or particularly good is dill (add fresh herbs just before serving). I am sometimes extravagant and use saffron.
Another favourite is mustard. Wholegrain mustard not only tastes great but looks good.
Walnuts are also delicious in a pasta sauce, add towards the end, toast lightly for better results.
Don't just stick with milk but try adding (substituting part of the milk) some cream, creme fraiche, coffee milk works well too, mascarpone or ricotta or a small tin of tomato puree for a lovely pinky/orange pasta. Or what about some white wine?
I think I will try using Dutch kwark one of these days.
Mushrooms are also a favourite with pasta and don’t need long cooking times.
Try all sorts of cheese, adding at the end. Gorgonzola is particularly good.
Don't overdo the ingredients, I can't emphasize enough the idea is to have few ingredients for full flavour. As with the salads less is more.
Keep the pasta dishes looking great by serving them with some fresh green salad on the side, a dash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and you'll be on to a winner. What's more the variations you will come up with will amaze your family. The array of different types, shapes, colours, and tastes of pasta will keep the fun alive....now who wants to go back to boring old macaroni cheese?