Macaroni Pasta Recipes

MACARONI PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or other large rectangular baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Be careful to not overcook the pasta. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta. Return the drained pasta to the pot.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the ground beef to the pan. Crumble the beef and cook until it is browned.
• Pour the marinara sauce and reserved ½ cup of pasta cooking water into the skillet. Stir in the salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Pour the meat and sauce mixture from the skillet into the pot with the pasta. Stir. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Top with the mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the casserole is hot and the cheese is lightly browned on top. Let stand for 5 minutes and then serve.

MACARONI RECIPE

Steps:

• In a pan, heat 3 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring it to a boil.
• Add 1 heaped cup macaroni (125 grams macaroni). stir with a fork.
• Begin to cook macaroni on medium to high flame till they are al dente - meaning they should have a slight bite to them.
• Drain all the water and keep cooked macaroni aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Lower the flame. Add ½ teaspoon minced garlic or finely chopped garlic. You can also add ½ teaspoon ginger-garlic paste instead.
• Sauté till the garlic is light brown or till its raw aroma goes away.
• Next add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions.
• Mix and sauté onions on a medium-low flame stirring often till they become translucent.
• Next add 1 cup tightly packed finely chopped tomatoes. mix well.
• Cover the pan with lid. In between do check when cooking tomatoes.
• Cook tomatoes on a low to medium-low flame till they soften and become pulpy.
• Lower the flame and then add all the spice powders one by one.
• Mix and sauté the spice powders for some seconds till you get a nice aroma from the spice powders.
• Then add 1.25 to 1.5 cups of mix vegetables. Also add ¼ cup green peas.
• Season with salt as per taste and mix very well.
• Pour 1 cup water and mix again. Cover the pan with lid.
• On a medium-low to medium flame simmer till the vegetables are cooked. In between do check and if the water has become less you can add some more water.
• Once the vegetables are cooked and tender, add the cooked macaroni.
• Mix well and cook for a few more minutes till all the water is absorbed. Stir occasionally.
• Lastly add 1 teaspoon mixed dry herbs - basil, thyme, oregano, parsley. mix again.
• Check the seasonings and add more of salt or herbs if required.
• Serve macaroni pasta hot or warm. You can top with some grated cheddar or vegetarian parmesan cheese or cream before serving.
• Garnish the pasta with some finely chopped coriander leaves or parsley or any fresh herb of your choice before serving.

PERFECT CREAMY MACARONI PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well under cold water to remove starch from the outside of the pasta.
• Meanwhile, add the chopped onions to a small bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 5 minutes and then drain. This tones down the raw flavor of the onion so that it won't overpower the salad.
• In the bottom of a large salad bowl, make the dressing. Whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. For a sweeter macaroni salad, add honey to taste. I typically add half of a tablespoon but try one to two tablespoons if you enjoy sweeter macaroni salads.
• Add the rinsed macaroni, drained onions, bell pepper, celery, radish, and the pickle to the bowl with dressing. Mix well. Taste, then adjust with additional salt and pepper.

MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• Bring large pot of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add the pasta and boil until al dente (just fork-tender), or follow packet directions.
• While pasta is boiling, prepare/chop SALAD ingredients and add them to a large serving bowl.
• Mix DRESSING ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Once pasta is cooked, drain and rinse under cool running water. Drain well and add to the rest of the SALAD ingredients in the large serving bowl.
• Pour over DRESSING and toss well to evenly combine. Adjust salt, pepper and vinegar to taste.
• Set aside for at least 15 minutes to let the ingredients warm close to room temperature and settle into each other before serving.

MACARONI PASTA

Steps:

• Cook the macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes; drain well and set aside.
• Melt the butter over a medium heat in a saucepan slightly larger than that used for the macaroni. Add the flour and stir to form a roux, cooking for a few minutes.
• Gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time. Cook for 10-15 minutes to a thickened and smooth sauce.
• Meanwhile, preheat the grill to hot.
• Remove the sauce from the hob, add 175g/6oz of the cheese and stir until the cheese is well combined and melted.
• Add the macaroni to the sauce and mix well. Transfer to a deep suitably-sized ovenproof dish.
• Sprinkle over the remaining cheddar and the parmesan and place the dish under the hot grill. Cook until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Serve straightaway.