# Any Pasta toppings?



## goboenomo

My mom likes to make spaghetti evey now and then... but I dont like it unless I cover it with garlic butter, or alfredo sauce.
I hate tomato sauce, and the peppers and onions, and mushrooms in it aswell.
Any other things I can put with my pasta so I don't get sick of the two I do eat?


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## Alix

Oh my lord gobo. You can put anything you like on pasta. Just last night I made a garlic cream sauce and sauteed some scallops that we put on top of linguine. 

Try a clam sauce.

Try bernaise sauce. 

Add any meat you like, and veggies too.


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## ChefJune

Gobo, it all depends upon what you are interested in eating.  I often take just about any vegetable (or combo thereof) in the house and saute them in a little olive ol with garlic, add a touch of white wine or vermouth, cook that down, and dress the hot pasta with the mixture.  Add a few grates of Parmigiano or Pecorino, and I have a great meal that I'm not ashamed to serve to friends...  just depends uponwhat you like.


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## goboenomo

Ive never had clam or bernaise sauce....
I have put chicken on it.

Most of the things I like are meals themself.... or candy. 

Veggies I like are spinach, brussel sprouts, carrots, and some others...
stuff I wouldn't like on my pasta


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## ChefJune

Gobo, I make a great pasta sauce with brussels sprouts!  I use butter along with a dab of olive oil, and I pull the sprouts apart, so the leaves all get coated. I add slivered garlic, and watch to make sure it doesn't burn.  This is SO good with pasta like pappardelle, strozzapreti, or penne rigate... and I top it with toasted bread crumbs.  It is really good.


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## FryBoy

Do you like fresh tomatoes? If so, here's a recipe for Pasta alla Caprese: 

4 large ripe tomatoes, cored and seeded, cut into ½-inch dice
½ cup fresh basil leaves, slivered
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
7 ounces ripe brie (rind removed) or mozzarella, cut in small cubes
3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1/3 cup olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste​ 
Mix it together, let it sit for 20 or 30 minutes, then toss it with cooked pasta.​


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## Seven S

crumbled sausage, broccoli and spinach

fresh cherry tomatoes halved, shrimp and fennel

olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes

tuna, olive oil, arugula, fresh spritz of lenon juice and peel


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## goboenomo

ChefJune said:
			
		

> Gobo, I make a great pasta sauce with brussels sprouts! I use butter along with a dab of olive oil, and I pull the sprouts apart, so the leaves all get coated. I add slivered garlic, and watch to make sure it doesn't burn. This is SO good with pasta like pappardelle, strozzapreti, or penne rigate... and I top it with toasted bread crumbs. It is really good.


 

That actually sounds pretty sweet!



I hate everything with tomatos except ketchup


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## Alix

Oooooooooooooooo!! Gobo, you would LOVE carbonara. There is a killer recipe on here for it. Searching...


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## BreezyCooking

I don't think you have Trader Joe's stores in Canada, but any store that sells lots of jarred ethnic-type tapenades & dips - those all make wonderful pasta toppings.

I've used jarred/canned eggplant caponata, different vegetable pestos, tapenades, jarred crostini toppings, etc., etc.  They all work for quick pasta toppings.  Just drain your hot pasta, toss it back in it's pot with some extra-virgin olive oil, add your jarred topping, toss again to mix, & serve.


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## goboenomo

Not too big a fan of veggies on my pasta.

Ive never heard of Trader Joe's


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## Alix

Carbonara. This is my favorite recipe of this type. There are several more posted here if you care to do a search for titles only.


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## goboenomo

Sounds good.
Ill give that to my mom to make next time she wants pasta.

Thx


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## Robo410

btw Gobo, cabbage sliced up or sprouts sliced up and sauteed in olive oil or butter with garlic and bacon or ham, moisten with a bit of the salted pasta water...is great on pasta.  add cheese if you like. oil garlic and chese is tasty,  Mushrooms?  (fresh only) slice saute in garlic and oil...really fine.  Spinach is also greatsauteed with garlic over  pasta, with or without cheese.  So invent and enjoy.


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## goboenomo

cool
thanks

cheese rules


hate mushrooms!


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## BreezyCooking

Sorry Gobo - like I said, I didn't think you had them in Canada. Trader Joe's is like a discount gourmet food store here in the U.S.

Since you say you don't like veggies in your pasta (), you can also add cooked shrimp, ground beef or turkey/chicken, etc., along with your sauce of choice.  Cooked shrimp can be purchased bagged & frozen & all you need do is heat/thaw them in a pan with a little oil, then toss with your sauce pasta.


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## kitchenelf

Here's one:

Take some sliced chicken breasts and for the day marinate them in chicken broth and fresh tarragon.  Remove chicken and boil broth with some fresh tarragon and reduce some (about 15 minutes).  Make a slurry to thicken just a bit and be sure to cook for 3 more minutes to minimize the flour/slurry flavor.  After this add a bit of cream to thicken even more and some salt and white pepper.  Toss with some linguini and sauteed chicken (oh yea, brown the chicken then finish cooking in the broth).

sauteed mushrooms are really good in this but..........


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## goboenomo

Sounds good.
I usually marinate chicken in sage and parsley


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## XeniA

Hey Gobo --

Two of my very, very favorites are tons of sweet, sauteed onions and one with parmesan and lemon juice and zest (credit going to the Hazans, mother and son).

However, do I continue ... or do you hate onions and lemon?!


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## lulu

You don't like veg in your pasta?  Or mixed veg?  Because it sounds like you are going to try the brussel sprout pasta?

If its mixed veg you are avoiding then try having the pasta with some broccoli...you can still add your garlic and butter.  The broccoli, we steam ours, is nice and sweet and al dente with the pasta.  We have it with loads of parmesan and black pepper, and/or, if we have it, chopped fresh mozzerela, whichs slips into the pasta and just melts a bit, its lovely. And easy for your mother to do.....but don't you fancy giving her a night off and trying some of these your self?

Carbonara couldn't be easier....my husband makes a great basic one, just eggs, cream, pancetta, parmesanor grana and its great comfort food.


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## XeniA

Lulu's right, of course. Not only should you do this yourself to give mum a night off, but presuming there'll be a time in the future when the woman in your life is somebody _other _than mum, remember, women just love a man who knows how to cook them something yummy! And pasta gives you a lot of sexy-food points with relatively little fuss or muss...


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## goboenomo

Oh trust me, I know how to cook.
I just don't like pasta all that much. 
If my mom wanted a day off I'd make something else, like crab, or steak or chicken or something.
My girlfriend doesn't like pasta.



I hate onions.... but I love onion rings for some reason.
It depends what the lemon is used with.


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## lulu

well, it would be a good challenge, to make a pasta you like, your mother likes, and by cooking something she knows you are not 100% keen on, she'll know how much you care.

Pasta is a useful meal not least because it can be made in a very inexpensive way, so is useful when you leave home.  I think you are being very sensible looking for ways you will enjoy it more.  Who knows, maybe you will be able to wine your girlfriend over too.

Pasta with crab meat is less affordable to many, but simply wonderful.  And so easy to do...once you have shelled the crab.  A nice long flat pasta..linguine for example, is excellent for this.  

I have never had pasta with lemon sauce, but feel inspired now, so I'm going to try it.  I love lemon risotto.


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## XeniA

Hmmm, Gobo, you're a tough one!

Don't like onions but like onion rings? Well, that could be because you haven't had really nice cooked onions, or it could be because you're concentrating on the nice, greasy, tasty outer crust of the rings and ignoring the inside. To me there are few things as wonderful as onions sauteed nice and slow and long on a slow fire -- a good 30 minutes, at least. They're so sweet it's unbelievable. Take those and their butter or oil and mix it in with hot pasta and plenty of freshly-ground pepper and it's just plain nectar.

As for lemon and what it's used with ... well, pasta in this case. A nice tagliatelle maybe, plus plenty of butter or oil, plus the finely-grated zest and the fresh parmesan. Very light, very fresh.

I have to wonder if you (and your girlfriend) have been exposed to really good pasta. It's so amazingly versatile -- can be heavy or light, spicy or not, and takes SO many flavors so well. There must be something in there you'd both like!

I mentioned the Hazans (Marcella and her son, Giuliano) but the book by the son (The Classic Pasta Cookbook) is one you should _really_ consider getting if you want to come up with a variety of nice ways of fixing pasta. It's produced by DK so it's FULL of really enticing photos and is 100% about different ways of making pasta. It's a _great_ book!

Lulu, I'll trade you my (Giuliano's!) lemon pasta for your lemon risotto!! I love risotto, but the only one I eat is my hubby's fabulous chicken one. PM it to me or post it?


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## college_cook

I'm going to second Ayrton's question: have you ever had great pasta?  And for that matter a great marinara or tomato-based sauce?  I'm not talking anything store-bought or from Olive Garden; though neither of these are bad, they just don't represent how great a good red sauce can be.

Sticking to your preferances, you might try a Vodka sauce- there are some that can be store-bought, though I imagine you're probably better off making your own. An easy recipe I found:

Vodka Sauce

I would also highly reccommend the carbonara, its quite delicious.

Also- you don't always have to think of pasta in Italian terms.  The noodles most of us think of when we think of pasta do very well with many Asian sauces as well.  There have been plenty of times that I used spaghetti or Fettucine or even Rotini in a pinch.  If you like Asian-style food you could try this.

There are several incredible peanut sauces you can find in your local store, and I would suggest starting there.


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## lulu

I just remembered a Nigella Lawson recipe which you might like Gobo. 

I can't remember the exact details...I am sure you can google it if you are interested, but its tagliatelle with roast chicken coarsely shredded into is with sultanas and toasted pine kernals and presumably garlicy oil.


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## goboenomo

Ayrton said:
			
		

> Hmmm, Gobo, you're a tough one!
> 
> Don't like onions but like onion rings? Well, that could be because you haven't had really nice cooked onions, or it could be because you're concentrating on the nice, greasy, tasty outer crust of the rings and ignoring the inside. To me there are few things as wonderful as onions sauteed nice and slow and long on a slow fire -- a good 30 minutes, at least. They're so sweet it's unbelievable. Take those and their butter or oil and mix it in with hot pasta and plenty of freshly-ground pepper and it's just plain nectar.
> 
> As for lemon and what it's used with ... well, pasta in this case. A nice tagliatelle maybe, plus plenty of butter or oil, plus the finely-grated zest and the fresh parmesan. Very light, very fresh.
> 
> I have to wonder if you (and your girlfriend) have been exposed to really good pasta. It's so amazingly versatile -- can be heavy or light, spicy or not, and takes SO many flavors so well. There must be something in there you'd both like!
> 
> I mentioned the Hazans (Marcella and her son, Giuliano) but the book by the son (The Classic Pasta Cookbook) is one you should _really_ consider getting if you want to come up with a variety of nice ways of fixing pasta. It's produced by DK so it's FULL of really enticing photos and is 100% about different ways of making pasta. It's a _great_ book!
> 
> Lulu, I'll trade you my (Giuliano's!) lemon pasta for your lemon risotto!! I love risotto, but the only one I eat is my hubby's fabulous chicken one. PM it to me or post it?


 


I like the onion on the inside too cause the onion falls out sometimes and i eat it alone.

I'm weird like that.

I have been exposed to good pasta... but it's all too plain. That's why I'm looking for things I like on top.

As for my girlfriend, she's been raised eating whatever she wants. I went over for dinner. Her mom served pork with a mushroom broth on top, rice, and salad. My girlfriend hates rice, so her mom made mashed potatoes, she hates salad, so she didnt have any, and she didn't like the mushroom broth, so her mom cooked the pork and broth separate, so she didnt have to have any, and we still could.


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## jkath

college_cook said:
			
		

> An easy recipe I found:
> 
> Vodka Sauce


 
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! keep in mind gobo's still underaged!
(and don't run with scissors, while I'm in Mom-mode )


Here's my *favorite fettucine* ever. Yes, there are peas, but maybe you like those?


*1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 c. whipping ceam
1-1/2 c. frozen peas
1 jar real bacon bits (2 or 3 oz)
3 cooked chicken breasts, cut up
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pound fettuccine
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter (for second half)
1 c. milk
4-5 roma tomatoes, in eighths
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground corriander (this really makes it tasty!)

Boil water in a large kettle & add salt. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onions & cook till tender. Add marjoram, cream, peas, bacon, chicken & pepper. Cook over medium till all is heated through. Meanwhile, put pasta in boiling water & cook for the time listed on box. To the contents of the skilet, add lemon juice & stir well & heat through. Add the pasta. Mix well & turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Mix in remaining butter, milk, tomatoes, nutmeg & corriander. Turn heat on low & simmer till tomatoes are hot.*


Also, Gobo, when I was a teenager, I adored onion rings, and, like you, hated onions. Then I realized I liked some onions more than others. For example, Vidalia onions have a natural sweetness to them. They are amazing when made into rings.

one more suggestion - a great way to learn to like new foods is to experiment with them. Buy something from the produce dept that you've never tried and see what it tastes like. Ask all of us for suggestions and see what happens


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## middie

Pesto is really good on pasta too


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## jkath

Oh yes! Pesto stirred up with some hot penne pasta and some pine nuts stirred in!


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## FryBoy

How about Asian-style pasta? Ever had Dan-Dan Noodles (a.k.a. Don-Don Noodles)?


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## goboenomo

I dont think so...


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## Andy M.

Dan Dan Noodles from earlier today.


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## goboenomo

that doesnt sound very good to me...


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## FryBoy

Why don't we start with a list of what you do like, then maybe we can figure out some way to add it to pasta.

BTW, do you like pasta? Or is that the problem?


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## XeniA

Morning Gobo!

Just when I was about to tell you that, no, marshmallow pasta is _not_ an option ... you admit you actually like the inside of the onion rings too. There's hope for you yet, kid!

So, first off, you need to revise your "I don't like onions" statement because it's not true. Evidently you don't like _some_ onions, and so far it appears that cooked onions might possibly land on your "yes" list. Is it raw ones you don't like?

If you like the insides of onion rings, one day please, just for me, take an onion and slice it and plunk it in a pan with either olive oil or butter, turn the heat on as low as possible, and let it cook for a half hour. Turn it occasionally, but otherwise just wait until it's golden brown, very soft and limp, and reduced greatly in size. Pull a bit out and try it -- is it sweet? Is it more like the insides of onion rings?

As for your girlfriend and her mother, sigh ... mostly I feel sorry that her mother decided to indulge her this way because I honestly, with all my heart, think that she's missing out on so many wonderful foods by having been allowed to get so picky. Still, while I'm grateful I was raised not being allowed to refuse ANY food (could only have a "no-thank-you serving" which I had to eat) and maybe because of it as an adult I'm open to almost any food (bugs excepted) ... as a mother I have to admit it can be easier said than done. My son who's almost your age will try almost anything but my younger daughter turns up her nose and refuses point-blank, and I'd swear they were raised the same way ...

Anyways! You're only 18 and it's really promising that you're hanging out on this site. That means the interest is there and that's the most important part. Now if you'd just try to open up a _wee_ bit more to new flavors ...?


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## XeniA

FryBoy said:
			
		

> Why don't we start with a list of what you do like ...



Actually, Gobo, could you do that for us please?


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## Mel!

*Pasta sauce suggestion*

Good Morning!!!!!!!!!
Here are the ingredients for one of my favourite pasta toppings. If u need cooking instructions, to go with this, just let me know. 
Mel

Pears
Vegetable stock
White wine
Butter
Olive oil
Red onion
Garlic
Walnuts
Oregano
Lemon juice
Blue cheese
Salt and pepper


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## Chopstix

I can't help but notice by the way this thread has been going, how amazingly patient most people in DC are...


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## goboenomo

FryBoy said:
			
		

> Why don't we start with a list of what you do like, then maybe we can figure out some way to add it to pasta.
> 
> BTW, do you like pasta? Or is that the problem?


 

I'm not a big fan of pasta, thats why i need something great on top...


Things I like...
Well i cant think of it all
But.... 
Any fruit
any meat
any seafood
broccoli
cauliflower
carrots
celery
brussel sprouts
spinach
pumpkins
cabbage
green beans
corn
peas
lettuce
garlic
potatoes



Thats just covering fruits, veggies, and meats.


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## karadekoolaid

goboenomo said:
			
		

> I'm not a big fan of pasta, thats why i need something great on top...
> 
> 
> Things I like...
> Well i cant think of it all
> But....
> any meat...
> broccoli...
> 
> 
> Thats just covering fruits, veggies, and meats.


 
Here ya go then...
I just love broccoli, whole garlic, a little hot peperoncini, a little salt, olive oil, a dash of water. Cover the lid, and cook the broccoli down until it falls apart, about 20-25 minutes. Squash it a little to break up the garlic cloves, put it on _Penne_ , al dente, with parmesan and a little black pepper. Believe me on this - it's not "overcooked broccoli" - I'm the first to object to that - it's _divine!_
Then there's a really wierd one I picked up here in Caracas. It's called " Sausage and Mustard Sauce" . For 2 people, you need: 
1 large bell pepper, grilled to remove skin, julienned
1 small onion, julienned
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsps Olive oil or corn oil 
2 tsps dry English mustard
1 tbsp melted butter
2 good quality "wieners" - a German deli would be a good source! - sliced into rounds

Fry the sausage gently in the butter. Set aside.
Mix the pepper with the onion. Set aside.
Mix the mustard with the oil and vinegar. 
Cook Linguini or fettucini al dente. Drain, add all the ingredients to the hot pasta pot, mix quickly with the pasta and serve. 

(Courtesy of Victor Arroyo).

Goboenomo: 
I am, at times, a little pedantic. That translates into "A stickler for detail", so if you don't feel happy with what I'm about to say, you can hurl a Cyber-snowball at my head!!!

A pasta "topping" would probably make many Italians cringe; sounds like a Fast-Food Ice-Cream!! What goes "on top" of the pasta ( and, in many cases, mixed in with the pasta) is an integral part of the dish. To call it a topping is rather comparing the sauce to "extra onions" on your hotdog ! 

OK, you can chuck the snowball.... WHIIIIIZZZZ!  THUNK!!!  direct hit!


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## FryBoy

*Orecchiette con Broccoli e Salsicce*

OK, good. Here's one of my all-time favorites, and it's much better than you might imagine:

Orecchiette con Broccoli e Salsicce
(Ear-Shaped Pasta with Broccoli & Sausage)

1 bunch broccoli (about 1 pound)
Salt
2 to 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup water
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound orecchiette or other small, cup-shaped pasta
1/2 cup grated Romano (or Parmesan) 

Trim and peel broccoli stalks, and cut broccoli into quarters lengthwise. 

Bring large pot of water to boil, add about 1 tablespoon salt, and cook broccoli until tender but still crisp (about 5 minutes).

Remove broccoli from water, drain and chop it fine.

Heat olive oil in medium fry pan over low heat, add garlic and cook until it releases its aroma. Add sausage, breaking it up, and cook until it loses its raw color. 

Add broccoli to sausage in pan and mix together. 

Add 1/2 cup water, salt and pepper, and cook slowly until the broccoli breaks down into a coarse puree, smashing the larger pieces with a spoon if necessary. Add more water if necessary to maintain a puree consistency.

Cook pasta in salted water (use the same water that you used for the broccoli). Drain, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water. 

Toss pasta with broccoli and 1/2 cup of grated cheese until cheese melts. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water if it seems too thick.


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## karadekoolaid

COOL! 

I bet that's great - have to give it a try!!


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## jkath

goboenomo said:
			
		

> I'm not a big fan of pasta, thats why i need something great on top...
> 
> 
> Things I like...
> pumpkins


 
GOBO! Have you ever had PUMPKIN Ravioli? It's amazing! The pumpkin in inside, with a bit of spices, and is usually topped with a butter-cream sauce.
Plate-licking good, I tell ya.


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## XeniA

goboenomo said:
			
		

> I'm not a big fan of pasta, thats why i need something great on top...
> 
> 
> Things I like...
> Well i cant think of it all
> But....
> Any fruit
> any meat
> any seafood
> broccoli
> cauliflower
> carrots
> celery
> brussel sprouts
> spinach
> pumpkins
> cabbage
> green beans
> corn
> peas
> lettuce
> garlic
> potatoes
> 
> Thats just covering fruits, veggies, and meats.



Okay, I kinda doubt we can do much with the lettuce and potatos, but many of the others have possibilities.

But if you like seafood and garlic, you've just hit a great favorite of mine -- prawns (shrimp), and/or scallops, and/or crab, sauteed _very briefly_ in a fair bit of olive oil (enough to coat the pasta later) in which you've already sauteed some thinly-sliced garlic and some ginger (optional since it's not on your list). Plenty of coarsely-ground black pepper and some hot red pepper flakes if you like that idea.

Pour over fresh, drained pasta (good with any number of types -- I like penne) and add in a generous amount of freshly-grated parmesan. Toss.

Since you don't like the pasta part, just play with your proportions so that you have more of the seafood, less of the pasta.


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## kimbaby

chili... or I also like garlic basil olive oil mixture with sauted mushrooms.


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## XeniA

jkath said:
			
		

> GOBO! Have you ever had PUMPKIN Ravioli? It's amazing! The pumpkin in inside, with a bit of spices, and is usually topped with a butter-cream sauce.
> Plate-licking good, I tell ya.



jkath you are SO right about this one!!

Do you happen to have a recipe?


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## goboenomo

jkath said:
			
		

> GOBO! Have you ever had PUMPKIN Ravioli? It's amazing! The pumpkin in inside, with a bit of spices, and is usually topped with a butter-cream sauce.
> Plate-licking good, I tell ya.


 
No I havn't.



> But if you like seafood and garlic, you've just hit a great favorite of mine -- prawns (shrimp), and/or scallops, and/or crab, sauteed _very briefly_ in a fair bit of olive oil (enough to coat the pasta later) in which you've already sauteed some thinly-sliced garlic and some ginger (optional since it's not on your list). Plenty of coarsely-ground black pepper and some hot red pepper flakes if you like that idea.


 
Yeah I love all that stuff. It would just be a chance that I would have those in the freezer. Usually when my mom makes pasta, she just pulls it out, out of nowhere. So it's pretty much, find something to put on it fast, or start mixing up some garlic butter.


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## XeniA

Could do worse than garlic butter!!


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## goboenomo

?¿?

What


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## XeniA

goboenomo said:
			
		

> ?¿?
> 
> What



Are those question marks meant for me and the garlic butter comment???


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## goboenomo

Yes they are.


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## XeniA

Sorry, then!!

All I meant was that good pasta with butter and garlic is delicious all on its own. Why ... even NOT so good pasta with butter and garlic is pretty good!

That's what I meant -- you could do worse (in terms of finding stuff to put on pasta) than just plain ol' butter and garlic.

Although ... having said that ... butter and garlic and fresh parmesan would be even better!


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## FryBoy

goboenomo said:
			
		

> ?¿?
> 
> What


It's an American idiomatic expression -- when someone says "you could do worse," it means that you've made a good choice, that there are lots and lots of other choices that would not be as good. 

Thus to say that you could do worse than butter and garlic is to acknowledge that butter and garlic are very good on pasta.


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## goboenomo

Of course they are.
That's why I use them.

Yesterday I tried something interesting...
It wasn't pasta... well... is Gnocchi considered pasta? I feel like it might, and it might not.

Anyways
I had it once about 3 months ago with a tomato and meat sauce... I didn't like the sauce all that much, so I tried something of my own at home.

I put butter, parsley, parmesan, and mozzerella on it.
It was great!
But I had to share it, so it didn't last long.


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## suzyQ3

Chopstix said:
			
		

> I can't help but notice by the way this thread has been going, how amazingly patient most people in DC are...


 
And, as evidenced by your most politely worded post here, just as diplomatic.


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## XeniA

FryBoy said:
			
		

> It's an American idiomatic expression -- when someone says "you could do worse," it means that you've made a good choice, that there are lots and lots of other choices that would not be as good.
> 
> Thus to say that you could do worse than butter and garlic is to acknowledge that butter and garlic are very good on pasta.



Thank you, FryBoy. Couldn't have come up with such a clear explanation if I'd tried! Besides, guess I thought it was a common expression in much of the English-speaking world. Not so, huh?


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## XeniA

goboenomo said:
			
		

> Of course they are.
> That's why I use them.
> 
> Yesterday I tried something interesting...
> It wasn't pasta... well... is Gnocchi considered pasta? I feel like it might, and it might not.
> 
> Anyways
> I had it once about 3 months ago with a tomato and meat sauce... I didn't like the sauce all that much, so I tried something of my own at home.
> 
> I put butter, parsley, parmesan, and mozzerella on it.
> It was great!
> But I had to share it, so it didn't last long.


Morning, Gobo ...

You're a man who knows his own likes and dislikes, I see. That's a good thing!

Gnocchi isn't technicially considered pasta I don't think (the experts on this site can confirm one way or another), but it certainly can be eaten in a similar fashion. Glad you enjoyed it anyways!

Pure comfort food with butter & parmesan. Yum!


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## lulu

I thought gnocchi was considered pasta, but would not stand to defend the point!  any dough creation in Italy is pasta....you want a crossaint you ask for a pasta!  And Although gnocchi has aits own name its a dough...but as I say, I don't know and I don't mind! 

Gnocchi don't particularly do it for me...I have them occasionally.  But I am glad you found something you like Gobo.  Like "pasta" (lol) they are very versatile, and if you find sauce you like with gnocchi the same ones will work pastas too.

When you first joined you asked a question about shapes of pasta.  Perhaps that is part of the issue here.  Some of the smaller, thicker pastas have a more resistant texture and are easier to keep al dente, it might be worth trying some expensive handmade pastas with different textures to experiment.  Or indeed making your own pasta.

My feeling is that if you like gnocchi with sauce, and gnocchi are also fairly "bland" and led by their dressing/sauces then you should not write pasta off but rather experiment.  Perhaps enhancing the visual aspect by using some squid ink pasta or tomato or spinich pasta so that the plate LOOKs more interesing would be a good option for you too.


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## kitchenelf

gobo - maybe you could choose some toppings you would like and your mom could buy them.  I understand your predicament of "cook what we have" but at some point a grocery store run is inevitable - so pick some stuff you would like to cook and make up a grocery list for your mom.  It doesn't have to be a long list - just a few things for a new pasta dish that you would like to try.


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## goboenomo

I did. 
Thats what the gnocchi dish was for.


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## Chopstix

suzyQ3 said:
			
		

> And, as evidenced by your most politely worded post here, just as diplomatic.


 
Thanks Suzy.  Was beginning to think it was just me...


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## FryBoy

Chopstix said:
			
		

> Thanks Suzy. Was beginning to think it was just me...


Some things, my far-away friend, are universal, including politeness and humility.


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