PASTA

This newsletter was prepared by Deliece Fasteband of the Hickories Ward.

Buy it:  Pasta is very inexpensive to buy and when dry packed it can be stored for up to 30 years.   It is one of the easiest items to add to your food storage. Making your own pasta is lots of fun and tastes delicious, but it is far more difficult to store all the ingredients to do so.

Store it: Pasta can be stored in almost any airtight container.  My pasta was purchased on sale and is still in original packaging.  It is part of my 3 months to a year supply. It will store this way for 2-3 years. You may want to place the packages of pasta into another airtight container such as a bucket or Rubbermaid bin to keep rodents out.

Use it: Pasta is very versatile and can be used as part of many main dishes, as well as great side dishes.

Preparing and Storing Pasta

Getting Started
Use a large pot.   For each pound of pasta, you will need at least four quarts of water.  A bit of  salt can be added after the water comes to a boil.

Preventing Sticking
Plenty of water and frequent stirring will keep pasta from sticking. Do not add oil to the water – this prevents sauces from clinging to the pasta.  Always cook pasta uncovered.

When is it done?
Pasta should be al dente (firm to the bite). If undercooked, it will have a chalky core and floury taste. If overcooked, it will be limp and soggy. When cooking pasta for baking later, it is especially important that it is al dente as it will continue to cook in the oven. Start tasting the pasta two to three minutes before the end of the cooking time given on the package.

Draining
Before draining the pasta, reserve one to two cups of the cooking water; it contains starch from the pasta that can add body to sauces.  After draining, shake the colander a few times.  It is not necessary to rinse pasta unless you want it to cool.

Cooling and Drying

Drain and toss pasta with a little olive oil. To cool pasta for salad or manicotti, run under cold water while draining.  To dry pasta,  arrange it on a sheet pan and pat with a paper towel.

Storing Cooked Pasta
Refrigerate cooked pasta in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. You may add a little oil (1-2 teaspoons) for each pound of cooked pasta to help keep it from sticking.  Cooked pasta will continue to absorb flavors and oils from sauces so it is best to store cooked pasta separately from sauce.

To save time, you can cook extra pasta and freeze for up to 8 weeks. To reheat, drop frozen pasta into boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and serve.

Freezing Pasta Dishes
The best pasta shapes for freezing are those that are used in baked recipes, such as lasagna, jumbo shells, ziti and manicotti.  You’ll have better results if you prepare the recipe and freeze it before the final baking.  To bake, thaw the dish  at room temperature and bake as the recipe directs.

If you don’t want to tie up your baking pans in the freezer, line them with plastic wrap before filing.  Once food has frozen, lift out, remove plastic wrap, and transfer to  freezer bags (label & date)and  place in freezer. When ready to bake, remove from plastic bag and place in pan to reheat.

Classic Italian Pasta Salad  from AllRecipes.com

8 oz spiral pasta, cooked and drained
2 ½ cups assorted cut-up fresh vegetables (broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers,

cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, etc)
½ cup cubed mozzarella or cheddar cheese
1/3 cups sliced pitted ripe olives
1 cup Italian dressing
Pepperoni or chicken (optional)

Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Pantry Posse Stew by Becky G.

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dehydrated onion flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 TBSP parsley flakes
1 can bean with bacon soup
1 can vegetable soup
1 can vegetable beef soup
1 can ranch style beans
1 can corn
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 soup can of water

Combine all ingredients and simmer until the macaroni is tender & the soup is very hot. If the soup is too thick, add a little water. Serve with scones or corn bread. This makes a hearty soup.

Alfredo Sauce

4 cups fettuccine, cooked

1   1/3 cups hot water

½  cup instant powdered milk to mix with the hot water

1 small clove of garlic

1 Tbsp flour

2  Tbsp fat free or regular cream cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1  ½ Tbsp of butter or  Molly McButter flavoring

Place water, dry milk, garlic, flour, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and butter in sauce pan and blend  well.  Heat on stove stirring constantly until just before boiling point.  Pour over cooked and drained noodles and toss until coated.   Cooked chicken can be added.

Tomato Soup with Pasta and Basil

1 quart canned tomatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup dried, minced onion

1/2 - 1 tsp dried, minced garlic

1-2 Tbsp dehydrated green peppers

4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves or 1-2 Tbsp dried basil

1 cup shell pasta

Combine all ingredients except the pasta in a blender and allow to sit until dehydrated items are soft. Once they are soft, blend until smooth. Heat in a pan over medium heat. In a separate pan, cook pasta until done. Drain and add to tomato soup just before serving.