Pasta! Pasta! by PW Food & Friends

Today’s post is brought to you by the letters P (for pasta) and C (for carbs), and by the post right before this.

If you haven’t seen it yet, Erica shared with us some valuable tips on how to stock your pantry and freezer for last-minute cooking. We followed along, making mental notes of items to add to our shopping list. But somewhere along the way, the mention of pasta carbonara caused a bright light to flash in our brains and suddenly, we forgot about our list. Then she mentioned something about elevating spaghetti sauce and that pretty much sealed the deal. We haven’t been able to get pasta off our minds since.

Pasta is the reliably fashionable celebrity of carbdom. You know, the one who always seems to know how to dress perfectly for every occasion: creamy, velvety layers when it’s cold and gray outside, light and fresh ensembles when spring makes its appearance, cool and casual in the blaze of summer, then draped with earthy, warm flavors when temperatures start to dip. Such a fashionista, that pasta.

So we thought you could maybe join us in our current pasta obsession and keep us company. Because we may be here a while. Perhaps these might entice you?

 
 

One-Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta. Often, the one thing that stands between you and pasta is all that extra cleanup: the extra pot, the cup to save the pasta water, and sometimes, that colander with a gazillion holes. Not here! This pasta cooks using the absorption method, and as a bonus, it also works well as a cold pasta salad. Also, pesto.

 
 

Spicy Lasagna Hotdish. Pasta, tomatoes, a lots of meat and cheese. Amen.

 
 

Seafood Pasta Baked in Parchment Paper. It’s like a pasta gift from someone who really, really loves you.

 
 

Roasted Zucchini and Eggplant Puttanesca Pasta. Dara sums this up nicely: savory, salty, briny, healthy and fresh. She calls it a little taste of heaven, and we couldn’t agree more.

 
 

Cheesy Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake. Crisp panko-crusted chicken on top of pasta mixed with a rich marinara sauce. Then showered with cheese, for good measure. Because you can’t go wrong with more cheese.

 
 

Pasta with Mushrooms, Chicken, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. In case you didn’t know, mushrooms, chicken and sun-dried tomatoes are best friends. Trust Joanne on this.

 
 

Mushroom and Asparagus One-Pot Pasta. Another easy cleanup dish, and perfect for asparagus season! Serve with a torrent of bacon because you’re the boss.

 
 

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. Let the slow cooker do most of the heavy lifting for you. The velvet sauce is so creamy and cheesy, the way mac and cheese should be.

 
 

Spaghetti Pie. It starts with cooked pasta tossed with eggs and Parmesan. But it’s not carbonara! It becomes this incredible pasta crust, which is then filled with a hearty meat sauce mixture. Top with cheese and bake that masterpiece.

 
 

Sour Cream and Onion Tuna Noodle Casserole. A classic comfort dish with a twist! That delightful crunch on top is courtesy of crushed sour cream and onion chips. Genius.

 
 

4 Easy Ways to Use Leftover Pasta. If you get over-excited about pasta like us and end up making way too much, don’t despair. Bridget is here to save the day. Pasta frittata, anyone?

 
 

Ah, pasta. You are as seductive as you are slippy, with ways that are wily and starchy. You will always have a place in our hearts and tummies.

Since we’re (obviously) completely and utterly pasta-obsessed right now, feel free to feed the fire. Share your favorite pasta dishes with us in the comments below!