One of my staple meals in college was spaghetti, tomato sauce and black beans. Without a fail, I’d always end up making myself more spaghetti than I needed. I think I just didn’t figure out how much they expand when cooked. That always would always result in so many leftover noodles. This was fine because then the next day I would mix it with some tomato sauce and black beans and have the same meal I had previously. However, sometimes I would run out of tomato sauce or I would just get plain tired of eating the same thing for 3 meals in a row. I decided it was time to explore other things I could do with spaghetti noodles. I had a pretty limited pantry so I had to explore some spaghetti recipes with limited ingredients. Below are spaghetti recipes that you can make with just seven additional ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper, olive oil and the noodles themselves.
1.Pasta with garlic and Olive Oil (Recipe from Girl Gone Gourmet)
Let’s start off very easy. I like to use this one when I’m super crunched on time, extremely low on ingredients and need to use that month old block of Parmesan. It’s really simple, but requires a small understanding of cooking concepts. The key is cooking the garlic just right and adding just enough pasta water until it’s reached the perfect amount of thickness. I’d also say to use a real block of Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. However, that green container of Kraft Parmesan cheese and dried parsley can also work in a pinch
2. Garlic Butter Spaghetti With Herbs (Recipe from Pinch of Yum)
Although this is quite simple, it is one of my favorite spaghetti recipes. This one builds a little more on the previous recipe. However, it has more flavor with the addition of basil, spinach and more garlic. You really don’t have to use the whole wheat spaghetti, but I find whole wheat spaghetti more filling and keeps me filled for longer.There’s also a short helpful video for those who are more visual learners
3. Mushroom and Garlic Spaghetti Recipe (Recipe from kitchn
I used to dislike mushrooms as a kid. I used to pick them off of pizzas and avoid them in stir frys. Now, I’ve realized what I was missing out on. I’d say for this recipe, the key is cooking the mushroom just enough. My tip for this recipe is that when you first saute’ the mushrooms, you should leave them just a little undercooked because they’re going to cook some more when you toss them with the noodles. Cremini mushrooms are also the same ones that are put on pizzas so use that as a guide to the taste and firmness of the mushrooms if you’ve never cooked them before. This one also has a helpful video
4. Easy Canned Tuna Pasta (Recipe from Salt and Lavander)
Now, let’s add a little meat to our spaghetti recipe that isn’t some cheap ground beef from Walmart. Ground beef is usually high in fats, salt, and generally not good for the environment so I usually try to avoid it. Of all these spaghetti recipes because you’ll get the most protein, mostly from the tuna. Additionally, it’s really cheap and tastes great.
The lemon is incredibly important. I cannot stress this enough.You need something acidic to help even out the oil and salt from the fish. While you have the lemon you might as well zest it on top like the recipe says. You’re going to be getting the most out of your lemo
5. The Best Spaghetti Casserole (Recipe from AllRecipes)
When you need to feed a large amount of people for cheap, you can use this recipe. I don’t love casseroles, but sometimes you need a recipe with low involvement and makes a lot of food. What makes this recipe taste good is the cheese. It’s hard to mess up because everything tastes good with a lot of cheese. If you do mess up, you can just add more cheese.
6. Stir Fried Pasta With Veggies (Recipe from AllRecipes)
Typically, stir fried noodles don’t use spaghetti noodles so don’t expect it’s going to taste like something from a chinese restaurant. It’s still going to taste good though. Additionally, it’s a way of utilizing spaghetti in a dish that isn’t really a part of italian cuisine. I included it because it’s something different and takes a little creativity to use spaghetti in a dish that isn’t italian. I find cooking with new ingredients and in new ways can help grow your cooking repertoire.
7. Cold Spaghetti Salad (Recipe from Confetti and Bliss)
I think we’ve all had pasta salads before so you should be familiar with how it should taste. You’re just not using the normal bow tie pasta that you would normally use and that’s ok. I wouldn’t go out of my way to make it, but if you’re trying to use some leftover spaghetti, it’s a good way to go. It’s also handy because sometimes you’re on the run between classes or meeting and don’t have time to stop by a microwave and heat something up.
