Microwave Angel Hair with Alfredo Sauce

Welcome back to another episode of Little Cub Cooks (But Not Really)!

In today's post we will attempt to cook one of my favorite meals: pasta. I come from a family that ate spaghetti at least three times a week, preferably at least once a day, so the severe lack of quality pasta I can find in State College has really hit me hard. Pasta is so simple to make and can be prepared in numerous tasty ways. The one problem: I have no stove.

Of course I've had those microwavable mac'n'cheese and garlic and herb noodles that make about four-forkfuls worth of severely sub-par pasta, but as a (half-blooded) Italian, this just won't do. I thought to myself, "All you really need for pasta is boiling water and some sauce, how hard could it be?"

And so: Microwave Angel Hair Alfredo.

Ingredients:

1. Your choice of pasta (1 box)
2. Water
3. A medium bowl (the bigger the better)
4. Your choice of sauce (1 jar)
5. Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)

For the first experiment I chose angel hair pasta, as I figured the thinness would make it easier to properly cook in the microwave. The steps for this recipe are practically as simple as cooking on a stove at home.

First, fill your bowl completely with water. This is where bigger bowls come in handy, as you want your pasta to be completely submerged in the water. I used a 4 cup pyrex bowl I found at target (for only $5 and super cute!) since it is the biggest bowl I have, so your cooking times may vary slightly. 

Put the covered (but please leave a little breathing room!) bowl in the microwave for ten minutes. Once you have ensured the water is boiling, add the noodles. Of course, if you have a large bowl, you could cook the entire box of pasta (which would mean leftovers!), however, if you don't, a proper serving size is about as much pasta as you can fit between your thumb and forefinger while making an "ok" sign (like this: 👌). Microwave the pasta for another six minutes (or the suggested time on the box).

Now this is the tricky part; drain the water from the bowl. My life flashed before my eyes as I held this bowl of boiling water, realizing I had no strainer to dump my noodles in. But never fear! After a moment of thought, I grabbed my winter gloves and a fork (gloves to hold the bowl without burning my hands and fork to keep the pasta from going down the drain) and was able to successfully drain 98% of the water.

Once your pasta is drained, it is time to add the sauce. There's luckily no real measuring for this, just eyeball the amount of sauce you prefer on your pasta (about two dollops is good for me) and mix it directly into your noodles. To warm the sauce (especially if the sauce was refrigerated), pop the bowl back into the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute. Add about an entire can of parmesan cheese, and you've made yourself some pasta!

My finished meal.

As I mentioned earlier, this simple recipe can be slightly adjusted to make myriad other dishes (try different sauces, add some tomatoes, pick some different cheeses). I was rather surprised by the tenderness of the pasta; I had expected the texture to be mushy, maybe even undercooked. I found myself a little disappointed in the sauce, though that could be attributed to my selection (I picked the cheapest one). The best part about it is the price! The box of pasta and jar of sauce cost about $6 total, another three for the cheese, but I've barely eaten all of it. Let's say this makes just three meals, that puts us at $3 a meal! 

I hope you get a chance to try microwaving pasta, and I'll see you next week!

In Which I've Become My Nonna

Welcome to Little Cub Cooks (But Not Really)!

This is where you'll get to see me stubbornly battle against becoming the barbarian university dorms encourage, what with the lack of available appliances and ban against housing such technology (but don't think I don't see you guys with your toasters, toasting bread in the mornings and thinking you're so cool). In short, each week will be a new "recipe" to follow in your very own dorm without a stove or proper cooking utensil.

My rebellion was in part inspired by winter break, during which I could bake cookies and cakes to my heart's desire and also in part by Ryan Higa's mini series on his second YouTube channel, Cooking, But Not Really. 

This week will be a relatively simple introduction to the world of discombobulated cooking: oatmeal, otherwise known as my childhood sworn enemy. Rewind over a decade to my Nonna cooking me oatmeal in the mornings, a disgusted look on my face as she spoons it into my mouth. I come from a family of oatmeal, both my Nonna and my dad religiously have eaten oatmeal since the dawn of time ("We're not that old," they shout in the distance). The year is 2017 and suddenly I am cooking oatmeal as the sunrises, too. Oh, the irony.

Today I will feature one of my favorite oatmeal recipes, all made from the confines of my 100 square foot dorm room. Disclaimer: while you won't need any special utensils, you will need to do some grocery shopping.

Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oatmeal

You will need:
Plain Oatmeal (one package, don't throw away the paper!)
2-3 spoonfuls Cream Cheese
2-3 spoonfuls Yogurt (greek or not, depending on you tastes)
2/3 cup of Milk
Maple Syrup (or honey) to taste
Strawberries to garnish (though any berry works great!)

The greatest thing about this recipe is that you don't actually have to do any cooking. Simply grab a medium sized bowl (or 2 small bowls if you're a light eater like me) that has a lid, as you will be refrigerating the oatmeal overnight.

1. Start by whisking (or very aggressively stirring with a fork) the room temperature cream cheese, until it is creamy. 
2. Then add the yogurt, syrup, and milk. Combine these in a similar aggressive manor. (As for measuring the milk, I discovered that the package doubles as a measuring cup, as there should be a marking on the bag to denote 2/3 cup-- seriously the greatest thing imaginable.)
3. Mix in the oats and strawberry slices and you're done!

All you have to do after combining all the ingredients is refrigerate for at least 4 hours, which makes this a great Sunday morning breakfast treat! You can eat it all at once, or portion it out for multiple breakfasts, as I find this recipe makes far more oatmeal than I prefer to eat in one sitting. The cream cheese and strawberries make this dish taste like a delicious dessert, while the yogurt and oats make for a nutritional breakfast! 

I hope you find the time to try Strawberry Cheesecake Oatmeal for yourself, and I'll see you next week, where I will attempt to cook Fettuccini Alfredo in a microwave!