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Easy way to make baked pasta dishes
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 297204" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>When I make lasagne I use freshly made pasta sheets which I never cook first. It handles like thick paper, pliable, flexible and I cut it to shape with scissors.</p><p></p><p>Pasta bakes - I don't cook the pasta first. But you do have to allow more liquid as well as make sure the pasta is completely submerged in the mix AND the lid is on (so it all steams properly). It works best this way because te pasta absorbs not only the liquid from the saucwe, but also takes on the flavours.</p><p></p><p>Instead of using bottled sauce, next time make a bechamel sauce with cheese in it, plus add shredded fresh vegetables (such as carrots, courgettes, peas, green beans) and stir it all through. Or instead of bechamel, throw in a can of chopped tomatoes along with the vegetables. Stir in some grated cheese and top with cheese.</p><p></p><p>Another trick (I got this one from Jamie Oliver) is to do something similar to what your daughter did, and stir in some ricotta or even creme fraiche mixed with parmesan cheese. A small amount of parmesan boosts the cheese flavour. I always use some parmesan along with cheddar.</p><p></p><p>When easy child 2/difficult child 2 was a baby and I was finishing my studies at uni, I took her with me to my lectures and prac. I would stop off for lunch first at the uni refectory and, mindufl of the need to eat a healthy meal, I would opt for their home-made pasta bake. They used tiny pasta in it (so it would cook faster). Tiny stuff like alphabet noodles you put in alphabet soup. Risoni. That sort of thing. Then tey would stir through raw shredded vegetables, then grated cheddar, then freshly chopped tomatoes (juice and all). Pile it all into a casserole dish, top with more grated cheese (and of course season it with herbs, salt & pepper) then bake it until the pasta is done. The vegetables are also done then. I loved the stuff, it was delicious and very filling.</p><p></p><p>The other thing you have Occupational Therapist (OT) watch out for when cooking it this way - the pasta will swell up a lot as it cooks, so allow for the extra space it will take up. Also as it swells it may emerge from the sauce, and if it dries out at that point, the pasta will be hard to eat. So keep the pasta pieces covered with sauce always.</p><p></p><p>Next time instead of using elbows (which are a goos choice though) try the spirals. Any pasta piece with a large surface area is a good choice for this method. Elbows have the inner surface as wel las the outer one, via which to absorb liquid.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 297204, member: 1991"] When I make lasagne I use freshly made pasta sheets which I never cook first. It handles like thick paper, pliable, flexible and I cut it to shape with scissors. Pasta bakes - I don't cook the pasta first. But you do have to allow more liquid as well as make sure the pasta is completely submerged in the mix AND the lid is on (so it all steams properly). It works best this way because te pasta absorbs not only the liquid from the saucwe, but also takes on the flavours. Instead of using bottled sauce, next time make a bechamel sauce with cheese in it, plus add shredded fresh vegetables (such as carrots, courgettes, peas, green beans) and stir it all through. Or instead of bechamel, throw in a can of chopped tomatoes along with the vegetables. Stir in some grated cheese and top with cheese. Another trick (I got this one from Jamie Oliver) is to do something similar to what your daughter did, and stir in some ricotta or even creme fraiche mixed with parmesan cheese. A small amount of parmesan boosts the cheese flavour. I always use some parmesan along with cheddar. When easy child 2/difficult child 2 was a baby and I was finishing my studies at uni, I took her with me to my lectures and prac. I would stop off for lunch first at the uni refectory and, mindufl of the need to eat a healthy meal, I would opt for their home-made pasta bake. They used tiny pasta in it (so it would cook faster). Tiny stuff like alphabet noodles you put in alphabet soup. Risoni. That sort of thing. Then tey would stir through raw shredded vegetables, then grated cheddar, then freshly chopped tomatoes (juice and all). Pile it all into a casserole dish, top with more grated cheese (and of course season it with herbs, salt & pepper) then bake it until the pasta is done. The vegetables are also done then. I loved the stuff, it was delicious and very filling. The other thing you have Occupational Therapist (OT) watch out for when cooking it this way - the pasta will swell up a lot as it cooks, so allow for the extra space it will take up. Also as it swells it may emerge from the sauce, and if it dries out at that point, the pasta will be hard to eat. So keep the pasta pieces covered with sauce always. Next time instead of using elbows (which are a goos choice though) try the spirals. Any pasta piece with a large surface area is a good choice for this method. Elbows have the inner surface as wel las the outer one, via which to absorb liquid. Marg [/QUOTE]
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