Pasta Ideas

        Now that you know how to make pasta in a microwave here are some options of what you can add to it  if regular tomato sauce isn't doing it for you. One of the most simple ways I eat pasta is drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. You can also use Alfredo sauce or pesto. I like putting chicken and especially grilled chicken on my pasta. It helps incorporate protein into the meal and means you are not just eating carbs. Even college students can find it easy to do so because Tyson^® makes Grilled & Ready^® Fully Cooked Frozen Grilled Chicken Breast Strips which can be found in any local supermarket and if not there are other comparable items and brands.

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         Vegetables are also great to incorporate. Broccoli, tomatoes, and peas are some common ones that go well with pasta. Although you may not have a stove you can still have a delicious meal of chicken, broccoli, and any type of pasta you like with Alfredo sauce. Here is a link for how to cook broccoli in the microwave http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-steam-broccoli-in-the-m-47176 and here is a recipe and directions for making Alfredo sauce in the microwave http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-microwave-creamy-alfredo-sauce-265738  I have tried out both of these recipes and they work well. I have also cooked broccoli in a microwave using the method described on page 84 of Healthy Microwave Cooking.

Healthy Microwave Cooking page 84 Broccoli Basics by Judith Benn Hurley

       My personal favorite is combining diced tomatoes, oregano, and olive oil and then mixing that into my pasta.I like to have a lot of tomato but you can use any amount you would like. As for the size, I like the pieces to be pretty small, no  larger than a cubic centimeter, but again you can determine the way you want them. I just use whatever amount of olive oil coats the diced bits of tomato completely and then sprinkle a generous amount of oregano. I then add the tomato mixture to my pasta and top it off with Parmesan cheese. Romano and Asiago also work well and you can even use a blend of cheeses for extra flavor.

        Other additions include bacon bits and meatballs. And yes, you can cook bacon in the microwave, most of the time the directions are right on the package. You will just need a lot of paper towels! You can also buy frozen meatballs which just need to be heated in the microwave.