Quezi

Mike's Red Pepper Pasta (photo by clairity - CC-BY)

It’s very easy to cook all kinds of pasta in the microwave.

First, boil a large quantity of water. I use an electric kettle.

Tip the dry pasta into a large microwave-safe bowl, such as a glass casserole bowl, and cover generously with the boiling water. You need enough water to cover the pasta even after it has expanded in size as it cooks and absorbs water.

Put it in the microwave, uncovered, for the number of minutes stated on the packet of the pasta. Spaghetti will need stirring every three minutes or so to avoid it sticking. Macaroni and some other smaller pastas will need stirring once half-way though. Larger pastas won’t need stirring at all.

When it’s finished, drain off the water. I just put on the bowl’s lid and drain through the edge of that. It works well because the casserole bowl lid fits loosely, leaving a nice draining slot. Even so, you need to be careful with the boiling water as you drain it.

It’s done!

For a very quick dish, stir in half a jar of red pesto. Or, if your kids have similar tastes to mine, you can add a cupful of peas (frozen peas that have been heated) plus a can of sweetcorn (drained) and lots of cheese. Stir in the cheese to distribute it evenly as it melts. It takes only a few minutes and always gets finished.

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