Quick Easy Pasta And Potato Recipes

10+ QUICK PASTA RECIPES

Steps:

• Pick your favorite recipe.
• Cook your pasta until al dente.
• Make your quick pasta sauce or pasta dressing.
• Add your pasta to the sauce and toss well to combine.
• Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground pepper if you like.
• Enjoy.

TOMATO, PASTA, AND POTATO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring 4 cups water to a boil and remove from heat. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the pasta in a single layer in dish. Top with one-third the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon oregano, half the potatoes, all the onion, and 1/2 cup Parmesan; season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Distributing evenly, layer with remaining pasta, another one-third tomatoes, and remaining oregano and potatoes; season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with remaining tomatoes.
• Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Carefully pour hot water into dish until it comes up to the top layer of potatoes. Tightly cover dish with foil and bake until liquid is absorbed and pasta and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Remove foil and top with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake until browned, 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

PASTA WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Put several cups of water in a pot on stove, and keep it at a simmer. Place olive oil in a large saucepan, and turn heat to medium. If you're using pancetta or bacon, add it to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. (If you are omitting the meat, proceed to the next step.)
• Add potatoes, garlic and chiles and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes begin to brown all over, about 10 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups of the simmering water, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium-low, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes and prevent sticking.
• While potato mixture is cooking, break long dried pasta, like spaghetti, into several lengths; place cut pasta, like ziti, in a bag, and break it up with the back of a pot or a hammer. After potato mixture has simmered for about 10 minutes, add pasta and plenty of salt and pepper to pot. Simmer, stirring and adding the simmering water as necessary; mixture should remain thick and stewy, never dry.
• When potatoes are tender and pasta quite tender - this will take 20 minutes or more - the dish is done. (It may be covered and refrigerated for a day or two, or put in a closed container and frozen for several weeks; it's likely that you will need to add more liquid when you reheat.) Check the seasoning, and add some crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper or salt if needed. Serve hot, in bowls.

QUICK POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Place 1 cup instant mashed potato flakes in a medium bowl. Pour over them 1 cup boiling water and stir to combine. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 large egg, ¾ teaspoon salt. Knead briefly until the mixture is smooth.
• Bring 4 inches of well-salted water to a simmer in a large pot. Have ready 3 tablespoons butter, melted, or extra-virgin olive oil. Roll about 2 tablespoons of the dough into a ¾-inch-thick log. Cut crosswise into ¾-inch pieces. Press each piece against the tines of a fork, rolling it as you do; this will naturally cause the gnocchi to curl slightly, leaving one side indented and the other ridged. Test the gnocchi by dropping a few into the simmering water and cooking until they float, about 2 minutes. They should hold a firm shape and be chewy to the bite. If they are too soft or disintegrate, knead into the dough up to 3 tablespoons more all-purpose flour and a little beaten egg.
• Test again. When the dough is right, roll the rest of the dough into three or four ¾-inch-thick ropes. Cut the ropes into ¾-inch pieces, shape the dough on the fork as directed above, letting them drop onto a lightly floured baking sheet. Bring the water back to a simmer. *Do not let the water reach a full boil. Drop one-third to half of the gnocchi into the pot and simmer, uncovered, until they float, then remove with a slotted spoon or skimmer to a wide bowl. Note: Never drain gnocchi by pouring the contents of the pot into a colander. Drizzle some of the melted butter or olive oil over the gnocchi. Toss to coat. Repeat until all the gnocchi are done.
• Spoon gnocchi into bowls and top as desired.