22 Creamy Pasta Recipes for Comforting Dinners (2024)

FAQs

Which cream is best for pasta? ›

Recipe Tips

If you don't have double cream, use single cream or crème fraîche instead. Soft cheese, such as cream cheese, can be used as alternative too – it's richer than the cream, so 100g/3½oz should be plenty, along with an extra splash of water.

The three most popular pasta dishes are macaroni and cheese, spaghetti Bolognese and lasagna. For centuries, pasta has been a comfort food.

Wait until the water comes to a rapid, aggressive boil before adding your pasta. Throwing in the pasta too early when the water isn't hot enough can result in some sticky, gummy noodles. Patience, friend. Stir right away — and every couple minutes.

Chicken is an incredibly versatile protein that can work with any kind of sauce or flavor palette. Chicken in a rich, creamy, pasta works perfectly, but so does some cut-up chicken in a red sauce. No matter what kind of pasta you are making, some chopped chicken is a perfect addition.

You can use heavy cream and whipping cream interchangeably in cooking, keeping in mind that your choice may change the consistency of your dish. Heavy cream tends to create a thicker, creamier result than whipping cream.

The first is obvious—if you're looking to feel all warm and cozy, go for foods that are (literally!) served piping hot, like soups and stews. We've included some of our favorites, like our lasagna soup, our white bean chicken chili, our beef stew, or our chicken matzo ball soup, but really, any will work.

potatoes, pasta and rice

Starchy foods such as wholemeal bread, wholegrain and high-fibre cereals, rice, potatoes and pasta are a great source of energy, fibre and B vitamins and should be used as the basis for meals.

To be sure that your pasta is cooked correctly, it is enough to follow a few, simple rules. To begin with, you should keep in mind the right quantities. In Italy, the golden rule for cooking pasta is 1, 10, 100 or 1 liter of water, 10 grams of salt for every 100 grams of pasta.

Use High-Quality Ingredients:Start with the best-quality pasta and fresh ingredients, including vegetables, herbs, and spices. Measure Pasta Accurately:Follow the recommended serving sizes for pasta to ensure a balanced dish. Boil Pasta in Salted Water:Use a large pot of well-salted boiling water to cook your pasta.

Any one of the following plant foods can be added to make a pasta dish a complete protein: Legumes (with the exception of soy) such as peas, and beans, including those that are dried, processed or baked. Vegetables, even if they are frozen. Nuts and seeds like walnuts, cashews and sunflower seeds.

How to dress up plain pasta? ›

To hot, drained pasta, add 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, ¾ cup grated Emmentaler, Gruyere or Edam and the same amount of mozzarella or fontina. Add 1 stick of butter cut into small pieces. Toss well to coat, adding ½ cup of pasta water to loosen if needed. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Double cream

This is the most versatile type of fresh cream, it can be used as it is or whipped. Double cream contains 48% fat. Uses: It can be used as a pouring cream over fruit and puddings, used in cooking or whipped and incorporated into dishes or served separately.

Use whole milk and stir in a flour-butter mixture to thicken and enrich pasta dishes instead of heavy cream. Is heavy cream or milk better? Heavy cream provides more fat, richness, and thickness. Milk is lower in fat and calories.

"Creaming" refers to the process of incorporating sugar and softened butter into a uniform, fluffy, and smooth mixture in which the sugar is dissolved and evenly dispersed. Though it requires a hand or stand mixer, it's worth the extra effort for delightfully chewy cookies and finely crumbed cakes.

Cheese and dairy give sauces creaminess while butter and oil give them richness. You also don't need to use a lot — these are just for finishing and rounding out the flavors in a sauce. Whole Milk or Heavy Cream: Add a splash and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to thicken.