Pantry pasta dinners deserve their recognition. Boiling salted water and cooking a high-quality dried pasta package results in homemade goodness with minimal mess and effort. I’ll never turn down perfectly cooked pasta topped with olive oil or butter and cheese, but that can become a bit repetitive over time.
To elevate that pasta into an interesting dish suitable for serving guests, add canned tomatoes, spices, and some protein. Packages of ground meat are a staple in my freezer. The microwave’s auto-defrost feature means the meat can be ready to cook in about 10 minutes—perfect timing to chop an onion and gather other ingredients.
