I suck at cooking and I need help please?!?!?!?!?

Question

I am trying to make pasta Alfredo. I have the pasta and I brought the Alfredo sauce from the store. This should be a no brainier but I want it to taste good. Not just plain.

What can I do to make it taste delicious?

Please help

Answer 1

Make sure you don't leave the pot to do something else and forget about it cuz you'll burn it and run screaming to it, "Oh my! Oh my! Mamma Mia!!!"

Answer 2

Add spices and some flavor-enhancers to the sauces. Also, make sure the pasta is cooked well, meaning it's a bit floppy.

If you can, add a sprinkle, JUST A SPRINKLE, of salt, and then some of the spices you can usually find in your cupboard.

Hope this helped!

Answer 3

Add additional grated parmesan or Romano cheese

Throw in some chopped black olives (not from a can - get them at the olive cart, or salad bar)

Throw on a handful of chopped fresh basil leaves

Top the mixed dish with some buttered bread crumbs and broil until the crumbs are bubbly and browned.

Answer 4

well the best way to cook pasta is to boil it in as large a pot as possible.

if its too small the starches will stick to each other. you want nice fluffy pasta! yum!

so, get the biggest pot you have, fill with water, and add (depending on how much youre making) some oil to it. oil not only helps pasta not stick but it gives it flavor.

cover to boil faster..

once the water has boiled put the pasta in and lower the heat.

watch it to be sure the water and foam from pasta doesnt overflow. it it starts to overflow just slide the pot off the burner a little or take it off the heat and lower the heat a little.

you can add a little salt to the water. people think salt is bad but the salt flavors the water..not the pasta. it makes it sweeter in the end.

stir the pasta while its cooking. you dont want it to settle on the bottom of the pot or it will get that burned flavor.

you know pasta is done when its limp, and all one color. not yellow, and whitish.

or you can put a piece in your mouth and if its too hard, just keep cooking it!

when its all cooked, get a strainer and strain out the water.

DON"T RINSE IN COLD WATER!!

everyone says to do that and thats dumb. cold water shocks the pasta into getting hard and we dont want that.

put a little of that sauce in the bottom of the same pot you cooked the pasta in,put the pasta in the pot on top of the sauce, and put more sauce on top of that.

stir it all together and POOF!

good eatting!

Answer 5

First of all the key to a great tasting pasta is a large enough pot and plenty of COLD water.  Follow the box directions according to the particular pasta you purchased for the pot size and water quantity.  Do not add oil to the water.  Using high heat, let the water come to a rolling boil before adding 1/2 to 3/4 of a tablespoon of salt (sea salt is even better).  Let the salt boil for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the pasta.  Then following the box directions, set your timer to the lower time offered (10 to 12 minutes then set it timer for 10) to time cooking the pasta.  Keep the temperature on high heat because you want to bring the water back up to a boil.  Using a  2-tine fork utensil, tongs or something similar stir often to eliminate the pasta from sticking together.   Check the pasta by tasting.  It should have a nice bite to it and not be mushy.  When done, immediately drain in a collander.  Do not rinse the pasta!  Then immediately add the sauce and gently stir it in.  You can also add a little butter before adding the sauce as this helps to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

For the sauce, check the container to see how long it is recommended to heat.  Do not cook it on high heat because it will burn, use a medium temperature.  You can always keep it warm on simmer if it gets heated too early.  The trick is you want both to be done at the same time.  Top off your dish with freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Plan, Plan, Plan.  Enjoy!

Answer 6

Try adding shrimp and topping with shredded mozzarella cheese and bacon bits. Good luck!

Answer 7

Add grated fresh parmesan cheese and pepper. You can also add some heavy/double cream.  You won't need much more than that.

Answer 8

Add some chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley to the dish.  If you like garlic, add about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder.  You won't need salt as it will be salty enough.  Also consider adding more parmesan cheese or regiano cheese for more flavor.  Always add a little of anything at a time, taste and add more if you think it needs more flavor.  The sauce will become thicker as you add cheese, so you may need to add some milk or cream.

Answer 9

In my experience, you can't really change the flavor of a store bought sauce. However, I like to cook the noodles per the directions on the box, then after I drain them, I toss them in butter and garlic...real garlic, not powder or salt. You could add some diced up tomatoes and/or steamed broccoli for a little extra, too.

Answer 10

Make sure you cook the pasta al dente (meaning it still has a bit of a bite to it-there should be directions on the box). As to the sauce you can add some extra cheese (either parm or romano). After cooking the pasta add it to a skillet along with a moderate amount of pasta sauce, a small amount of pasta water (contains the starches) and cook a few minutes until it comes together to a thick creamy sauce. You want to make sure to not over dress your pasta as there's nothing worse than pasta drowned in sauce, top off with a bit of chopped parsley, cracked black pepper and enjoy.

Answer 11

One of my favorite dishes I make (and everyone says it is the best) is to get a package of those chicken strips (already cooked), a bunch or two of fresh broccoli along with your pasta and Alfredo sauce (choose a non store brand for best flavor).  While cooking the pasta steam the broccoli until turns bright green.  Cut the chicken strips into cubes and combine all together after pasta & broccoli is drained.

Bon Appetite!!  

Answer 12

Boy do I know how you feel. 7 years ago I married a chef, and then I found out that he doesn't like to cook at home all the time! I had to learn cooking 101 quickly. Here's my recommendation:

First you need to understand what Alfredo sauce is. It's a cream sauce primarily composed of cream, butter, and cheese (specifically mozzarella and parmagana), normally spiced up with pepper. Your specific sauce may have a few more spices, but that's the gist of most alfredo sauces. This will help you decide on what herbs to add. Parlsey is kind of the "go-to" guy in the herb family. Whether in the dish or just a garnish, its pretty versatile.

Second, decide if you want to add a protein into the mix. The obvious choice is chicken breast (skinless & boneless). However, if you are a vegetarian, sliced portabello mushrooms are fantastic with alfredo. Add them together and its even better.

To cook: In a medium pan (10") heat about 2 tablespoons (just enough to cover, not submerge, the bottom of the pan) of olive oil over medium heat. Add your chicken breast (I like to slice mine into 1 inch wide strips, easier to cook) and/or mushrooms to the pan, saute (technically, that means "toss", but if you're like me, you can just stir often) for about 5-7 mins or until the chicken is cooked. Add your sauce directly to the pan (this is why I said to just coat the pan in oil) and stir to distribute the "juices" into the sauce, let simmer for about 8-10 mins or until the sauce is heated through, stirring often. You can add the parsley (Fresh is best, so as stated by the previous poster, remove the stems, roll the leaves up and cut finely) and, if you like, a red bell pepper when you add the sauce for some additional flavor and color.

A few tips:

- When cutting, tuck your thumb and finger tips under (so your hand looks like a paw) and use the side of your thumb as a guide for the knife. You'll avoid loosing a finger tip and a costly trip to the hospital.

- Parlsey, thyme, rosemary, and other herbs are so easy to grow right at home. Chia even makes a kit so you can grow them right on your window ledge. Its always nice to have FRESH herbs, even just as a garnish.

- Don't be afraid to try cooking and experimenting. A website that helped me alot was www.meals.com. The recipes range from easy-peasy to gourmet and you can even search for meals that take 25 minutes or less. Plus they have comment sections under each recipe that allows users to share any updates or additions they make to the recipe, to help you with ideas for costumizing it. I absolutely love the search by item option, where you can search by what you might have on hand.

- If you can get it, the Food Network is awesome. Sandra Lee hosts "Semi Homemade", a show that combines store bought items with additional ingrediants to make a great meal. She also has several cook book outs.

Answer 13

No worries! The sauce should have the right amount of seasoning, so you shouldn't have to worry too much about that. I'd recommend grilling a couple chicken b*****s (this is fairly easy to do) and putting that into the pasta and baking it together in a pan for about 30 minutes or so. Mmm. Okay, I'm hungry now! Haha.

Answer 14

You could saute some mushrooms, onion, and a little garlic to add to the sauce. Or you could add some grilled chicken. Or any combo of the above.

Answer 15

Store bought alfredo sauce is so good now that you may just want to dress it up.  Get some fresh parsley.  Take off the leaves only (no stems) put them in a small pile and roll them up, then run your knife through them once or twice and sprinkle on top of the pasta or you could grate some parmesan cheese and put on top and then put the parsley on top just before you serve it.  It will make your dish look and taste home made.

Answer 16

Homemade Alfredo Sauce would taste better but you could add fresh parmesan cheese to make store bought sauce better.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup butter

8 ounces cream cheese

8 ounces half-and-half cream

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

black pepper (to taste)

Directions

1Melt butter in sauce pan.

2Add cream cheese and whisk as you add half & half.

3Whisk until smooth adding cheese, garlic powder and pepper.

4Simmer until heated through.

5Pour over any pasta you choose, we even liked it on cheese tortellini.

6Serve with a nice green salad, garlic bread, and a nice glass of wine.

7Very filling!

Answer 17

I have no idea, I can't cook either

Answer 18

Mix a little bit of garlic powder into the sauce.   When serving the pasta,sprinkle on a lot of grated parmesan cheese.   Maybe serve it with some garlic bread.  yum!

Answer 19

One more tip...

Cook the sauce on very low heat so you don't scorch it. Alfredo scorches easily.

When timing the meal, remember this rule about pasta:

The sauce should wait for the pasta. The pasta should NEVER wait for the sauce.

That means if you don't know how to finish them at the same time, then the sauce should finish cooking before the pasta. You don't want your pasta sitting around getting rubbery and dry while the sauce finishes.