Shelf stable and full of calming carbs, pasta is going to get us through these long days lately. If you’ve already had one too many bowls of noodles and sauce, we have some ideas that go beyond red sauce. Combine a weeknight dinner favorite, baked salmon, with fettuccine and punchy lemon. Or make a cheesy one skillet pasta- a hit for the whole family. Maybe you’re like Kate and have a pantry shelf of rice noodles, too. Make a Thai noodle bowl for the comfort of noodles with some veggies, too. However you’re finding solace these days, we’re happy you’re sharing your dinner plans with us.
Baked Lemon Butter Salmon Pasta, Cheesy Taco Pasta, Thai Noodle Bowl with Almond Butter
Baked Lemon Butter Salmon Pasta: Spend with Pennies
Mixing the salmon with the pasta right in the baking dish was an inspired move. The noodles picks up every last bit of flavor from the roasted garlic and salmon. A squeeze of lemon at the end makes for a simple yet punched up dinner. Pantry friendly and delicious.
Tips:
- We both backed off the butter a bit, by 2-3 tablespoons, and thought the ending dish was perfectly delicious.
- Flake the salmon into fairly large chunks at first. Mixing with the pasta will break down the fish even more.
Cheesy Taco Pasta: What’s Gaby Cooking
Pasta simmered with enchilada sauce, peppers, and onions is delicious enough. (Using that one can of enchilada sauce in the pantry you may have overlooked.) Add a couple cups of cheese at the end and you’re winning dinner. Cooking it all in one skillet meant only one pan to wash, which was even better.
Tips:
- We used a whole can of enchilada sauce instead of the one cup suggested. This was fine.
- Betsy used a base of precooked ground beef and beans. If you have some pre cooked seasoned ground beef from Episode 103, this is a great time to use it.
- Kate used one less cup of cheese stirred into the pasta and thought it was still delicious. If you only have so much cheese in the house, this is a good option.
Thai Noodle Bowl with Almond Butter: Minimalist Baker
Rice noodles are also crowding our pantry, which we’re not mad about at all. Quick cooking and flexible with so many dishes, we chose a recipe that is vegetable-forward and filling.
Tips:
- Make everything but the noodles and keep in the fridge for a quick work from home lunch. Rice noodles do not reheat well but cook quickly. Boil a little, check your emails, and you’re almost at lunch.
- Not a tofu fan? We think this would also work well with chicken breast, cut into bite sized chunks and cooked through in the skillet before adding the sauce.
- Believe it or not, this recipe can be very flexible. Here are some ideas for substitutions:
- Almond butter- literally any other nut or seed butter, in the same amount
- Rice wine vinegar- apple cider, red or white wine, or other light vinegar in the same amount. Only have white? Use half the amount. Balsamic would not work here.
- Limes- not ideal, but you could use lemon or an orange.
- Maple syrup or coconut sugar- honey or brown sugar
- Vegetables- leave one or two out, doubling the rest, or shredded cabbage, snap peas, julienned radishes or daikon, shredded spinach or other lettuces
- Rice noodles- any long pasta shape like angel hair pasta or even fettuccine would work
From the Smorgasbord:
This week we're all about banana bread. Listeners in our Facebook group shared their favorites.
- Cara: Double Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: Smitten Kitchen
- Kristy: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: Two Peas & Their Pod
- Laurie: Air Fryer Banana Bread: Fork to Spoon
- Sue’s Banana Bars (Check out our Facebook group!)
- Angelica: Banana Bread: Cook’s Illustrated
- Katie: Maple Olive Oil from Shutterbean
- Molly: Julia's Best Banana Bread:Bon Appetit
- Gina: Sour Cream Banana Bread, Reluctant Entertainer
Head over to our Facebook group for even more favorites. We would love to see you there.
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