Rice / pasta dishes

rchddap1

Usually our attempts at cooking with rice or pasta involve a pan of water...and a pile of cooked rice/pasta on a plate.

As I'm pregnant I'm looking for some simple things that I can get to grips with for meals. Or pasta dishes of course.

Ideally something I can batch make, and sling in the freezer. Don't want to be rushing around cooking....as well as dealing with a screaming baby. But want to be a dab hand at some new simple stuff well before the time comes.

Floss

Try pasta with pesto & pine nuts......really easy...

cook pasta, add 2-3 teaspoons of pesto sauce (jar/tub from supermarket) and a handful of pine nuts. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Voila!

Also scrummy with fried chopped bacon added before the pesto.

wigginsmum

Caramelise some onions very slowly in oil or butter, cook some chopped peppers, stir in dry rice, add stock (and a splash of sherry or wine) and simmer until done and all liquid is gone. Lovely veggie risotto - serve with Parmesan.

leni

Congraulations BTW

oh, I had a great one put recipe, off the top of my head!

It was pasta, tin baked beans, coupld of tomatoes chopped up, onions (pre-fried), chopped garlic, sliced peppers, put all in a slow cooker or pan and simmer for about 15-20 minutes then serve with chorizo sausage or bacon pieces.

how about some pasta bakes?

Rikki

I like to fry a chopped onion add chopped bacon fry until crispy add a tin of tomatos and cooked pasta add herbs to suit your taste and serve.

rchddap1

Thanks for the ideas so far...I trust these are okay to freeze?

COuld be a problem with the one with nuts....OH would object as he doesn't like them (probably because he identified too much with them, as he is nuts)

Heth_2

I wouldn't say there is much point freezing a fresh pasta dish (Not a lasagne or pasta bake, they take a bit longer to do) since you can usually prepare the sauce in the time it takes the pasta to boil. If all you are doing is stiring pesto and some chopped tomatoes into it then why bother freezing? It will only take a minute or two.
You could freeze quantities of tomato sauce though, but cook the pasta fresh if you can. It will taste so much better and pasta takes less than 15 minutes to cook.

angchris

curried veg egg fried rice is gorgeous my oh loves it as it is a very tasty recipe and can be used on its own for a quick snack with bread n butter or a sidedish with meat. i dice and fry any veggies that need using up this usually consists of an onion and a pepper mushrooms, sultanas and anything else looking a bit limp, whilst frying add curry powder to your taste to the veggies and get a pan of salted water on to boil your rice. once rice and veg is cooked drain rice and throw it all in together give it a good mix to coat the rice in curry flavour then just hard scramble a couple of eggs and throw them in with rice/veg and voila:D there you have a big (and it does make loads)pan of scrummy cheap food and leftovers keep well in the fridge which is great if you have a oh like me who works shifts and comes in at all funny hours just slam it in micro give it a blast n its done:j