Pasta, pasta, pasta, a college student’s go-to meal. Pasta is one of the most inexpensive, easily accessible, quick, easy and delicious food out there; making it perfect for college students.
Below is a video showing how to properly boil pasta:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0p_dBCEDs4
Serving size:
Pasta is a bit tricky in the sense that a cup of uncooked pasta is not equivalent to a cup of cooked pasta.
Generally, pasta doubles in size. One serving is 2 ounces or ½ cup of uncooked pasta which is equivalent to 1 cup of cooked pasta. Another way to think about it is that 8 ounces of uncooked pasta which is usually half a package of pasta is roughly 4 cups of cooked pasta.
A trick for long noodles is to place a lot of noodles between your thumb and forefinger. 2 oz is when the bunch has a diameter of a US quarter.
Spruce up your pasta:
After that, you cooked your pasta now what? The best way to make sure your pasta is flavorful and nutritious is by adding more ingredients to it! Below are the three categories to think about.
- Sauce
Sauce is yummy, and many people prefer to coat their pasta for additional flavor. There are many options at the grocery store from alfredo to pesto to tomato sauce. Make sure to look for low sodium when buying your favorite sauce!
- Vegetables
To get in all your vitamins and minerals add in a variety of vegetables! Some vegetables that you can just throw in are bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and olives. If you want to sauté some vegetables; mushrooms, onions, and spinach taste great with pasta!
- Protein
Lastly, add some protein! You have so many options! Some suggestions include chicken, shrimp, and beans!
Now you are a pasta expert! Experiment and be creative and don’t forget to enjoy eating your delicious pasta!
