What a wide variety of pastas we have today, not too mention the numerous ways to fix them. Gone are the days when your pasta choices were limited to macaroni and cheese or spaghetti. Now there’s a type of pasta to please every taste bud and even more sauces to please the most finicky eater. And, if you have grated cheese on the table for everyone to add as much as they’d like, you better have enough pasta prepared to serve your guests seconds.
It’s so easy to make a beautiful pasta meal for a special occasion or just a weeknight supper for your family, and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to do so. If you want to really dress up the meal, serve it with a salad and your own homemade Italian bread or quick rolls. You can even serve a side dish of vegetables to make sure everyone’s getting all the vitamins they need. However, a lot of pasta recipes incorporate vegetables with the pasta, like this one for Quick Linguine with Clam Sauce, which includes peas.
A lot of kids love pasta but turn their noses up at veggies, but this recipe only calls for a cup of peas, so the youngsters don’t seem to mind eating them, especially since they’re smothered with clam sauce and seasoned with Parmesan cheese. The dish is also so easy on the budget!
QUICK LINGUINE WITH CLAM SAUCE
8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small red or green bell pepper, diced
2 teaspoons flour
2 cans (6 1/2 ounces each) minced clams, drained and liquid reserved
3/4 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Cook and drain linguine as directed on package.
While linguine is cooking, heat oil in 10-inch, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic and bell pepper in oil about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Sir in flour. Then, stir in clam liquid, oregano and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
Stir clams, peas and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese into bell pepper mixture. Cover and simmer 5 minutes longer. Serve over linguine. Sprinkle with added Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.
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