Learning to make pasta is the base layer of your cooking repertoire! Say goodbye to mediocre restaurant pasta and hello to your new culinary skills with these two perfect pasta recipes sure to keep your mouth watering. Happy cooking, campers, and good luck.
Spinach and Pesto Pasta
Preparation + Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serving Size: 2-3
Ingredients: (all measurements are approximations and can be adjusted)
½ a box of spaghetti (or any pasta of your choice)
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 yellow onion or 1 shallot
½ cup of heavy cream
1 bag of spinach
3 cups of fresh basil
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 tsp of Trader Joe’s mushroom seasoning
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
1 tsp of garlic powder
½ a cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Steps:
Begin by boiling salted water in a large pot. Once boiling, add pasta to the water and follow the cooking instructions on the package (usually cooks between 7-10 minutes). Once cooked to your liking, drain the water from pasta, reserving half a cup of pasta water for later and toss noodles with olive oil and salt.
While the pasta is boiling, dice your onion/shallot, chop spinach, chop basil and smash/dice garlic.
In a pan, saute onions and garlic with olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add basil, spinach and seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika, mushroom seasoning, red pepper flakes and garlic powder) to the garlic and onion mixture.
Once cooked, add pasta water and heavy cream to the mixture. Cook on medium heat for 4-6 minutes, stirring periodically, or until heavy cream thickens and bubbles.
After the heavy cream begins to thicken, add sauce mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
In one of the pots used to cook the sauce or pasta, combine pasta and spinach and basil sauce. Toss until the sauce is fully incorporated into the pasta. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Tomato and Feta Pasta
Preparation + Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serving Size: 2-3
Ingredients: (all measurements are approximations and can be adjusted)
½ a box any pasta of your choice
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 yellow onion or 1 shallot
½ cup of heavy cream
2 tomatoes
1 cups of fresh basil
1 cup of feta cheese
½ a can of tomato paste
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 tsp of Trader Joe’s mushroom seasoning
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
1 tsp of garlic powder
Steps:
Begin by boiling salted water in a large pot. Once boiling, add pasta to the water and follow the cooking instructions on the package (usually cooks between 7-10 minutes). Once cooked to your liking, drain the water from pasta, reserving half a cup of pasta water for later, and toss noodles with olive oil and salt.
While the pasta is boiling, dice your onion/shallot, tomatoes, basil and smash/dice garlic.
In a pan, saute onions and garlic with olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add tomato paste and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring periodically, and until tomato paste begins to turn slightly brown in color.
Add chopped tomatoes and Basil to this mixture, incorporating them completely. Season mixture with red pepper flakes, slat, pepper and garlic powder.
Once cooked, add pasta water and heavy cream to the mixture. Cook on medium heat for 4-6 minutes, stirring periodically, or until heavy cream thickens and bubbles.
After the heavy cream begins to thicken, add half a cup of feta cheese to the mixture.
In one of the pots used to cook the sauce or pasta, combine pasta and tomato sauce. Toss until the sauce is fully incorporated into the pasta. Add the remaining half cup of feta cheese to the pasta, and stir until incorporated. Serve immediately and enjoy!
