When it comes to meals that are easy to make and easy to serve again and again, then there are few better options than a simple pasta dish. There’s nothing like a decent pasta, meat, and sauce dish when you don’t feel like getting too elaborate. However, there’s no denying that eating this kind of mealtime and time again can start to get a little bland, so what can you do to switch it up and bring something new?
Stray outside the classic Italian take
Pasta might be considered an Italian dish and, for that reason, the classic choices of pesto, marinara, and cream sauces like alfredo are going to be the most popular options out there. However, Italian isn’t the only way to cook pasta. You can also look at Asian fusion pasta recipes as well. These tend to rely more on the kind of flavors you might see in a stir fry, like sesame oil, soy cause, broccoli florets, and more. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s any more complex to make.
Spice it up with your own meat
Normally, pasta dishes with mean normally involve cooking the meat then throwing it in the pot with the pasta and sauce, and letting it simmer in the flavors already in the mix. However, you can also use your meat to bring brand new flavors. Few do this better than a nice spicy sausage, so learn how to make Mexican chorizo (it’s not as difficult as it sounds) and you can quickly spice up any pasta dish. You can tone down the spiciness if there are some who can’t handle hotter foods, as well.
Add a little texture
If you’re using the classic mix of just the pasta, the sauce, and your choice of meat, then you can really benefit from adding some texture and a different bite to your pasta. Mix-ins like chickpeas, chopped peanuts, and mushrooms can do a lot for not only the taste of the dish, but they can add a little something extra to the bite and how it actually feels to eat it as well. A good peanut noodle dish can make a great meal if you’ve already had spaghetti bolognese and you want to make use of those extra pasta noodles.
A sweet touch
You might not be familiar with it, but pasta with fruit is a much more beloved and widely used combination around the world than you might think. If you’re looking for a meatless lunch like a cold pasta salad, for instance, then you can create one using some cheese (such as feta) and fruits like grapes, oranges, and even pineapple slices. It might sound a little strange if you’re used to pairing pasta with savory flavors only but one of the benefits of pasta is how well it goes with just about any taste profile.
The big benefit of pasta dishes is that they are so easy to change up, whether you want to bring some home-made goodness or opt for those easier changes.