pasta Archives - What Would Betty Do?

Clean-Out-the-Fridge Pasta

Written on April 18, 2014 by Alisa.

Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta We were heading out for our trip to Hong Kong and I needed to purge the fridge and pantry. I had a mishmash of things that didn’t really go together, and lacked a few key ingredients for regular family favorites. I had chicken apple sausages in the freezer, my go-to meat […] Read More

Vodka Sauce with Sausage

Written on December 13, 2013 by Alisa.

Hearty Vodka Sauce A few months ago, we were traveling and came upon a restaurant that was filled with families, but mysteriously had no kiddie menu. The prices weren’t cheap, and I wasn’t going to order the Tiny Kitchen Assistant an entire adult meal at nearly $20 a pop considering that we had no means […] Read More

Spaetzle

Written on December 6, 2013 by Alisa.

“German Mac and Cheese” It seems appropriate to post this on St. Nicholas Day, the day that the Tiny Kitchen Assistant asks me if St. Nicholas will make the journey from Germany to deliver oranges, nuts and chocolate to him for being a good boy. The Assistant forgets nothing, and he’s been asking about it […] Read More

Four Cheese Mac and Cheese

Written on October 11, 2013 by Alisa.

The Best Mac and Cheese Ever I was having the kind of week where Murphy’s Law was in full effect. Comfort foods were sorely needed, and nothing says “comfort” like mac and cheese. But I needed something more than the usual mac. My go-to recipes are usually Alton Brown’s stovetop version, and his baked version. […] Read More

Pesto Pasta Salad

Written on July 27, 2012 by Alisa.

Pesto Pasta Salad It was 106 degrees at my house, with a “real feel” temperature of 111. (Sometimes I just think that the real feel information adds insult to injury, don’t you?) Nobody was particularly hungry. Nobody wanted a hot meal for dinner. The Tiny Kitchen Assistant reached into the fridge and pulled out a […] Read More

Lasagna Roll-Ups

Written on May 11, 2012 by Alisa.

So there we were, on a Saturday night. It was already 5:00 and I’d given zero thought to dinner. So I polled the boys. The Tiny Kitchen Assistant requested pasta. My husband groaned. “It’s Saturday night,” he said. “I don’t want a quickie, throwaway dinner.” I was more than a little bit annoyed because maybe, […] Read More

Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper Pasta)

Written on May 4, 2012 by Alisa.

There was a time when I believed that Cooking (with a capital C) required two dozen ingredients, preferably ingredients that were difficult for mere mortals to find. Over time, I came to understand that simpler combinations of ingredients often merged to create more satisfying results. This pasta came about when the Tiny Kitchen Assistant requested, […] Read More

Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup

Written on April 13, 2012 by Alisa.

This time of year, I could eat soup every day. No, we don’t have the snow that other parts of the country endure, but there’s something about cold, rainy weather that makes me even more inclined to hunker down and nest. This is probably one of the easiest soup recipes ever. You can use the […] Read More

Firecracker Pork Fusilli

Written on March 23, 2012 by Alisa.

In the next town over, there was a restaurant that billed itself as serving “world pasta” or something similar. Their selections ran the gamut from ordinary Italian favorites to more Asian-inspired noodle dishes. But the one dish that everyone ordered was the firecracker pork fusilli. Admittedly, this was a strange dish: pasta topped with shredded, […] Read More

Creamy Butternut Mac & Cheese

Written on February 17, 2012 by Alisa.

When I saw the Cooking Light recipe for macaroni and cheese with butternut squash, I was intrigued. I’m always looking for ways to make favorite comfort foods a little less heavy and more nutritious, but without sacrificing that special something that makes them comforting to begin with. I showed the photo to the Tiny Kitchen […] Read More