We normally don't eat a lot of pasta but I must admit, I love having this simple stir-through dish in my repertoire as a treat for Fergal or when I have a hoard of hungry toddlers to feed.
For some healthier ideas see the variations below.
enough for: 2
takes: 15 minutes
200g (7oz) pasta
4 tablespoons cream
2 handfuls grated cheese (see below for options)
salad leaves, to serve
1 Bring a medium pot of salted water to the boil.
2. Add pasta and set your timer for the time indicated on the packet. Simmer, stirring every few minutes until the pasta is no longer crunchy.
3. Drain and return the hot pasta to the pot.
4. Stir in the cream and cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed (the cheese may be salty enough).
5. Serve hot with salad leaves on the side.
Variations
different cheese - my fave combo is parmesan and emmental for flavour and ooziness. But any good melting cheese will work like gruyere, cheddar or even mozzarella. Or if you want to use processed sliced cheese, knock yourself out!
more veg - add a few handfuls peas frozen peas or snow peas to the pasta cooking water a minute before the timer is due to go off. Or toss in roast or grilled veg in with the cheese.
gluten-free - use GF pasta (I like ones based on quinoa flour) or replace pasta with cooked or canned chickpeas or white beans. Just warm the drained legumes in a little oil in a pan before adding cream and cheese.
dairy-free - replace cheese and cream with a few handfuls of the dairy-free variation of my pesto. Or replace cream with a peppery extra virgin olive oil and replace cheese with sliced grilled veg like eggplant, zucchini and / or red bell peppers (capsicum).
paleo - replace pasta with diced roast veg like sweet potato, parsnip and carrot. And use one of the dairy-free options instead of the cheese and cream.
low carb - give this treatment to a big bowl of broccoli!
carnivore - toss in some cooked bacon or sausage or finely sliced prosciutto.
carb lovers / more substantial - serve with garlic bread in the side.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
pasta - keep it in the pantry.
cream – freeze it or use for another meal.
cheese – most hard and melting cheeses will keep for weeks wrapped in waxed paper or baking paper and stored in an airtight container (or sealed ziplock bag) in the fridge. If you need to store for longer cheese can be frozen.
salad leaves – are highly perishable. My first path would be to use them for another meal (salad for breakfast!) but if that isn’t possible you can pop them in the freezer. They will wilt down but can then be used anywhere you’d use wilted greens. At least this way they wont go slimey.
Prepare Ahead
Best when freshly made. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, warm in a pan with a little butter.