For those days when you’re craving something that’s not on the menu at the Hub, try something new: make a dish from scratch! Purchase students in the residence halls, don’t fear: you don’t need a fancy kitchen to make great tasting food – all you need is a microwave! Put that MicroFridge to good use – it’s not just for making popcorn anymore.
In this column I plan on sharing easy recipes with you, along with ingredient lists, helpful tips, and step-by-step instructions. All of these recipes are prepared and taste-tested before they’re posted, so they’re guaranteed to be good. (I plan on testing out vegetarian and vegan dishes too!)
So have some fun with friends and try out a recipe or two. Give Micro-Cooking a try and remember: just because you have a small kitchen, doesn’t mean you’re limited in your possibilities! Happy cooking!
This Week: SPAGHETTI
While we do have pasta options on campus, I sometimes find myself yearning for a big plate of spaghetti like my mom will make for dinner at home. After doing some research, I found out it’s perfectly easy to cook pasta with the aid of the microwave! Once the noodles are cooked, feel free to heat up some jarred marinara or sprinkle with cheese for a quick pasta fix.
SPAGHETTI
For this dish, you’ll need:
- A microwave-safe dish (I used a glass dish)
- A fork or spoon to stir
Ingredients:
- Enough water to cover the pasta completely
- Uncooked spaghetti, or any other pasta. The amount will depend on how many servings you want. Check the box!
- Salt, to taste
- Optional: sauce, cheese, butter, any other toppings
Method:
- Wash your hands before handling food!
- Pour your portion of dried pasta into the bottom of the microwave-safe dish.
- Pour water over the pasta until it is completely submerged. Don’t overfill, though. Just enough to cook in.
- Add a pinch of salt, if desired.
- Microwave on high approximately 7 minutes. Using oven mitts (the water will be boiling), remove the dish from the microwave and stir the pasta up to remove any clumps and check for doneness.
- Microwave an extra 2 – 3 minutes or until desired doneness is achieved.
- Top with any sauces, or enjoy plain!