Weekly Lists #15: Favourite Pasta Dishes

Every Wednesday, I post a list of random stuff. This week: 5 of my favourite pasta dishes.

As November changes into December, I’m always craving comfy-foods. Not the ones that are all greasy and unhealthy, but the kind that remind me of being home, of my dad cooking, of my mum putting candles on everywhere, because she thinks it makes for cosiness (and it really, really does!) As I’m away from home during the week, though, and as such haven’t got any of those luxuries for at least 5 days out of 7, I just have to make something myself – and pasta is an excellent choice for that sort of comfort-craving!

1. Pasta Pesto

Photo Credit: inspiredtaste

Now, I feel like this is such a typical dorm-recipe, because you really can make it with just some pasta and a little pot of pesto. However, I like to fancy it up a little (because I like cooking) so I usually first cook my pasta, then add a little bit of cream and the pesto. After stirring it thoroughly, I add in some sliced tomatoes and shredded chicken (or if I’m feeling fancy: smoked salmon! Absolutely delicious!) Finally, I serve it with a little bit of pepper and salt, and a good amount of Gruyere cheese on top.

2. Mac and Cheese

Now, this is isn’t actually that big of a thing in Belgium (or at least: not as big of a thing as it seems to be in the US), but I do really love this – if I’m feeling lazy, I’ll just buy some that I only have to heat up, if I’m willing to go through the effort, I’ll actually boil the pasta, shred the ham and mix it through the pasta, along with a good bit of cheddar and cream – absolutely delicious, but it does fill you up real quick 🙂

3. Spaghetti Bolognaise

This is probably the classic of all classics – you can easily throw it together using pre-made sauce, but I prefer to follow (or vary from) this recipe:

It makes for a delicious sauce, filled with yummy veggies, and it makes enough that you can eat at least 4 times from it, or (as I usually do) freeze a bunch of it for those days when you don’t want to go through a lot of trouble

4. Lazy Pasta

Now, this one doesn’t actually have a name, that I know of, but for me it’s the ultimate pasta to make when you’re feeling lazy: you put your pasta in a microwavable bowl with just enough water that it’s completely covered for approximately 7 minutes on 1000 Watt (if you’re like me and have a microwave in your room, that means you don’t even have to leave your room to do so), you take a can of cut up tomatoes, and you stir it through the pasta once it’s done (usually it is soft after microwaving it for 7 minutes), along with a bit of pepper and salt, you microwave it for another minute, and you’re done. It’s so basic, but if you just want to eat something that takes next to no work but is still pretty healthy-ish, this’ll do just fine 🙂

5. Pasta with Broccoli and Chicken

This is another classic, but I especially love to add some extra greens in there from time to time – leek, celery, green onion, green beans – anything green that can have a bit of a crunch to it (because the broccoli is usually really soft) makes a lovely addition to the basic recipe:

Recipe and Photo Credit: bbcgoodfood

So there you have it: 5 of my favourite pasta-dishes, to make those long winter nights just a bit more cosy (even if only in your tummy). What are your favourite ways to prepare pasta? Do you have any other semi-healthy comfort foods? Be sure to let me know below!

-Saar