# Simple sauces for pasta as a side dish... got any?



## GrillingFool (Nov 5, 2007)

Pasta....

Time to explore it as a side dish! I am getting tired of rice! 
Pasta isn't something I cook with a lot... spaghetti, Kraft Mac a Cheese,
and the occasional Alfredo sauce is about it.... so far.

I am looking for good sauces or toppers for side dish pasta..
got any recipes?

Tonight's menu includes baked salmon with a simple citrus flavoring,
and wilted spinach..... how about a nice pasta something for it?


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## jabbur (Nov 5, 2007)

I've done cream cheese, milk and ranch dressing mix to make a sauce then stir in pasta.  It's similar to alfredo but a little different.  Toss pasta with some italian dressing.


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## BreezyCooking (Nov 5, 2007)

How about buttered Orzo tossed with a little minced garlic & some slivered fresh basil?


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## Andy M. (Nov 5, 2007)

Put some dry thin egg noodles on a cookie sheet and toast them in a 400F oven until they are a rich brown color.  Boil to your preferred tenderness, drain and toss with butter, salt and pepper.

The browning adds a rich nutty flavor that adds a shole new dimension of flavor. 

You can also toss some grated parm in with the butter, if desired.


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## Jeekinz (Nov 5, 2007)

2 tablespons butter, fresh sage or basil, evoo and grated parm.


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## kadesma (Nov 5, 2007)

A simple one my family enjoys is just, fettuccine with butter, parmigiano,and salt and pepper...a little heavy cream could be added to make it a little richer..A mushroom sauce would also be lovely with fettuccine, sliced mushrooms of your choice,saute in evoo and a touch of butter with some crushed garlic, add some white wine and salt and pepper, cream can be added to this as well if not a little chicken broth, pour over you pasta after sauce reduces somewhat and top with chopped fresh parsley.
kadesma


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## Alix (Nov 5, 2007)

I tend to make dishes that have sauce and that is what goes on the pasta. For example, chicken cacciatore...the pasta is covered with the tomato sauce. Creamy lemon chicken, pasta on the side gets a nice hit of flavour from this sauce. Brandied chicken...you get the idea. 

I think the key with using pasta as a side dish is to make sure you are using it with a main dish that is saucy already. Then you don't have to work twice. Thats my usual modus operandi. Hope it helps. 

BTW, you can do an advanced search for any of those recipes using the title and my name, I think I posted them all at one point or another.


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## AllenOK (Nov 5, 2007)

A couple times I've done a quickie garlic-butter "flavoring" for pasta, by heating a pan over medium heat, adding some clarified butter, then minced garlic.  Stir/toss for 20 seconds, add some pasta, toss to coat, and you're done.

A garlic/White wine/Butter sauce is nice in the summer time, especially if I'm doing quickie pasta sautes with meats and veggies for a one-dish dinner.


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## Bilby (Nov 5, 2007)

What about using a risoni for the salmon to sit on?  Or a vegetable lasagne as a side.


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## GrillingFool (Nov 5, 2007)

Thanks for the ideas everyone!
We ended up sauteeing some garlic and green onions in olive oil, then added some tomato, the spinach, salt, my citrus spice mix and lemon juice. Tossed it all with some whole wheat pasta.
Came out OK, nothing to write home about but it is a start on the pasta side dish idea.

The Roma tomatoes really sucked up the lemon juice. That was neat!

Oh... 
Olive oil, McCormick Citrus Shake, Cajun spice and a dash of lemon juice, with minced garlic and sliced shallots, makes an EXCELLENT salmon marinade. Combine, coat the salmon, let sit for half an hour. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes. Yum.


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## auntdot (Nov 6, 2007)

A carbonara sauce is about as fast a sauce as one can make.


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## babetoo (Dec 17, 2007)

fredo pasta cooked, add sauted onions, mushrooms, grated parm. and heavy cream .guess the cream and then adjust. 

also use saltless chicken seasoning

got rave reviews.

babetoo


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## Corinne (Dec 17, 2007)

One word: Pesto!


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## larry_stewart (Dec 17, 2007)

1/2 cup black olives
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1 tbs capers
small jar marinated artichoke hearts
bunch basil and parsley
coarsely pulse in food processor so little chunks of the olives are present 
add to your favorite red  pasta sauce,
maybe add a little parmesian cheese, hot pepper flakes, wine  or whatever

because the olives are salty, need to do a few taste tests to modify the salt 

relatively quick to make, pain in the butt to clean the food processor


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## jpmcgrew (Dec 17, 2007)

Or just a simple pasta tossed in olive oil,garlic,scallions,parmesan fresh ground pepper maybe a squirt of balsamic or lemon juice.The trick is using the best pasta you can get.Fresh pasta is the best.Fettuccine with brown butter and sage.


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## Walt Bulander (Dec 17, 2007)

*Simple pasta/veg side dish*

I often just throw some fresh or frozen vegetables into the cooking pasta (at the proper time so they are done together), then drain into a collander, make a simple sauce in the same pan. (ex. butter and shallots, and/or garlic, cook a minute or two), add cream and parm. Return the pasta and veg. to the pan, mix and you're done. I usually use broccoli or peas, sometime cauliflower. Really young green beans would be good, also.


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## Jeff G. (Dec 18, 2007)

GrillingFool said:


> Pasta....
> 
> Time to explore it as a side dish! I am getting tired of rice!
> Pasta isn't something I cook with a lot... spaghetti, Kraft Mac a Cheese,
> ...



Sure.. simple as it gets.  Cood the pasta until it's almost done.  In skillet put in olive oil, get it hot.  Add some minced garlic and allow that to brown.  Drain the pasta and stir into the garlic and olive oil.  Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.


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