Cooked Pasta Dishes

Oven-baking your pasta dishes!

Pasta dishes have been around for many centuries, and have become so popular that they have become a basic food in all types of cultures. However, pasta itself of course originated from Italy. In the 8^th century, more spaghetti style pastas were being sold, and it wasn’t until the 1300s that people started to recognise how filling and nutritious pasta was.

Dried pasta can last for a long time which is why it is so popular with Italians and other nationalities alike. Pasta has been created in many different shapes and sizes and when mixed with sauces, it can totally transform the dish. Many pasta dishes involve boiling the pasta and then serving with a sauce such as fettuccini Alfredo (a cream based sauce) or spaghetti bolognaise (a tomato and mince meat based sauce).

Although buying and boiling up some shop-bought pasta is the norm, many people make their own out of 200g plain flour, 2 eggs (beaten) and a pinch of salt. These ingredients can be mixed together to create a doughy base which can then be made into whatever pasta shape you like, however creating the farfalle (butterfly/bow tie) variety may be a little tricky which is why opting for tagliatelle (thick strips) may suit you better.

Although pasta itself is simple enough to cook, it is their accompanying sauces which require a little extra effort if you want to impress your friends with your culinary skills. Lasagne, vegetable lasagne and cannelloni are just a few oven baked pasta dishes which are beautifully filling and tasty meals.

Lasagne

A meaty lasagne can include any type of meat that you like, although traditionally meat and a white cheese sauce are used. For a newer twist on the traditional recipe, try Creamy Chicken and Spinach which, although it takes a while to prepare, is a delicious combination of the various layers of pasta, spinach and chicken. Find delicious lasagne recipes on Recipebridge.

Vegetable Lasagne

Instead of various meats, the vegetable lasagne uses lots of vegetable between the pasta layers. These can include onions, broccoli and garlic, or spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes. Or you can get creative and use any vegetable you like – courgettes in lasagne is a great favourite of mine and the thick slices are great for soaking up the lasagne’s rich and tasty juices. Try vegetable lasagne recipes here.

Cannelloni

These tubes of pasta are stuffed with all sorts – and both meat and vegetarian options for cannelloni both taste wonderful. The large pasta tubes can be stuffed with their filling and then arranged in an oven dish. A tomato based sauce can then be poured over the evenly spread pasta tubes and then sprinkled with parmesan and baked for 30 minutes. This allows the filling to heat and cook, and also allows the dried pasta to slowly gain moisture from its surrounding sauces. Recipebridge has a good selection of cannelloni recipes.

What’s your favorite baked pasta dish?

Pasta is a great staple food and also makes a great cheap meal when you are cooking for a lot of people as well. So if you like soft dishes with lots of flavour and you are sticking to a budget, try cooked pasta dishes! Share your favorite pasta recipes with us on Facebook or Twitter!