Big pasta dish to share with friends!?

Question

Does anyone have a tasty pasta recipe that will serve 5+ people? Am bored of chicken and pesto!!!

Answer 1

My family and I love Pasta Carbonara. It's light, but has lot's of taste, and is really easy to make.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti or Angel Hair pasta

2 eggs

bacon

olive oil

1. Have all your ingredients out before you begin. Make the bacon, and rip it up so it's in shreds a bit bigger than your thumbnail. Keep it warm while the pasta cooks.

2. Cook the pasta to your liking, and quickly strain it and put it in a bowl. Before it cools down, crack the 2 eggs into the bowl, and mix around. The egg will cook, so it's safe.

3. Add the olive oil, to taste, and sprinkle the top of the dish with bacon. Add parmesan or another kind of cheese, if you wish.

It's very tasty, and can be made to serve many. Emeril made it on his show, and our family loves it.  

Answer 2

I've made this pasta dish for dinner parties several times and the guests always love it. If you'd like to make it for 6 (and you don't mind having some leftover), I would double the recipe below.

Fusilli with Spinach and Asiago Cheese

1 pound fusilli pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (9-ounce) bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped

8 ounces (1/2 pint) cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup (about 3 1/2-ounces) grated Asiago

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, warm olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 more minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss. Add the cheeses, salt, pepper, and the pasta cooking liquid and stir to combine.

Transfer the pasta to a serving plate and serve.

Answer 3

Are you willing to go Thai-style instead of Italian?  My friends LOVE it when I make them this dish:

Ingredients

Noodles:

1 package of linguine style RICE noodles

Sauce:

1.5 cups of peanut butter (chunky is good!)

2 tablespoons of thai chili sauce (1 tablespoon if you don't enjoy a little kick!)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar, level

2 tablespoons of yellow curry paste (red works too!)

2 cans of coconut milk (shake well before opening)

1/2 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Vegetables:

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup brocolli crowns

1/2 cup asian style pea pods

Chicken:

8 oz. chicken breast or 8 oz. firm tofu

Directions

Begin by poaching the chicken breast. (If you are using tofu, bake, fry, or steam your tofu. That is up to you!)

Wrap chicken in a tin-foil wrapper and place in a baking dish. Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes or until cooked completely through. While the chicken is baking, begin the sauce.

Pour the coconut milk into a large skillet with high sides and gently warm on medium heat for a couple minutes. Add the peanut butter and melt. As the peanut butter melts, add in the rest of the sauce (save 1/2 cup chopped peanuts) ingredients and stir fully. Let gently simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.

Start a large pot of water to boil for the noodles.

Rinse and slice the peppers into thin strips.

Rinse the rest of the veggies and add all of the veggies to the sauce.

Cover and let continue to simmer.

When the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the oven and the foil & let it rest for a few minutes or until cool enough to slice. Slice the chicken into slices or chunks and add to the sauce and toss.

Rice noodles cook fairly quickly, so keep your eye on them. Add rice noodles to boiling water and let cook according to the package directions (about 6-8 minutes). Test by eating one of the noodles for doneness. Noodle should be al dente -- cooked but not overcooked.

Drain noodles.

Turn off heat.

Add a small amount of the coconut peanut butter sauce to the large pasta pot.

Return the noodles to the pot.

Pour the rest of the sauce with veggies on top of the noodles.

Toss thoroughly.

Serve with a garnish of chopped peanuts on top.

OR:

Chicken Marsala is quite easy and so good (if your friends like mushrooms)

Need:

Penne pasta

12 oz. chicken breast or tenders

Fresh Mushrooms (white, portabella, whatever)

2 cloves garlic (or shallot)

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon oil

Bottle of sweet or dry Marsala wine (look in the wine section)

Can of chicken stock

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup heavy cream

chopped flat leaf parsley

___________________________

Get the pasta cooking.

Lightly sautee chicken in oil until lightly brown and remove from pan.  

Add in butter and melt then flour and stir, cook for about 1 minute.

Add in diced mushrooms and garlic, stir.

Cook for about 3-4 minutes on medium/low heat.

Add in 2 cups marsala wine and stir.

Add chicken back into the pan, stir.

Let simmer on low/medium heat for about 4-5minutes until sauce thickens and alcohol cooks out.

Add in whole can of chicken stock and let simmer for 4-5 more minutes.

Drain pasta.

Add heavy cream to marsala sauce at the very end, stir to combine.

Pour sauce and chicken over penne and top with chopped parsley (and parmesan cheese, if you wish.)

Yum!

Answer 4

open the door

Answer 5

make a goulash.

1 pound ground beef

1 can hunts 4 cheese spaghetti sauce

1 pound elboe macaroni

season to taste

add 1 cup shredded cheese

serve with garlic bread and tossed salad.

Answer 6

when cooking for a large amount of friends 1st off you don't really want to spend all your time in the kitchen cooking

the simplest tastiest 1 I use is

Pasta  of your choice (mine is linguine)

2 pkges of Hollandaise Sauce

Scallops and prawns

broccoli florets(small)

finely diced red pepper for garnish

cook the pasta , make hollandaise according to pkg, add seafood and broccoli put on serving platter and sprinkle with red pepper garnish

Answer 7

This recipe is DELICIOUS - and no pesto or chicken! I like to add sauteed asparagus tips to this also, although it is good without too. You can serve it hot or cold, and with a ceasar salad. Serves 6, with leftovers

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi - variation of barefoot contessa

Vegetable oil

2 tablespoon kosher salt plus 3 teaspoons

1 1/2 pound linguine

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons good olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic (8 cloves)

2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)

1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 2 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 3 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve

Answer 8

Cook spiral pasta, try the multi "colored" type. Cut up into bite size pieces the following: cherry tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, cucumber, chestnuts, bamboo shoots, black olives, zucchini, whatever type of veggie you like. Pour Italian Seasonings dressing over it and marinate over night. You can place cold chicken in the dish or on the side. You can also add chunks of salami and cheese. I have also added artichoke hearts and avocado. The key is the dressing.

Answer 9

Either spag bol which you probably know already how to make. Or tuna n pasta. It is a cold dish though!!

Do as much pasta as you need.  I use the twists.  Get tuna preferably in sunflower oil. Drain a little of the oil from the tuna. Put into large bowl add mayonnaise, I use plain mayo and garlic one too - gives it a little kick.

Then chop up loads of tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, radishes whatever you like to add or have in fridge.  Add sweetcorn too for colour - if you like it.  Basically add any salad stuff you like to it. Give it a huge mix and dish it up.   It very nice.  You can make it individual depending on what you add to it.

Good Luck