Sauce Up Your Life

Sure, pasta's easy, but let's face it–marinara every night just won't cut it. Here are a few sauces that you can make in less than twenty minutes, while your pasta cooks, to add a little variety to that go-to college meal.

Tomato Cream Sauce

Photo by Tamara Katoni

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: up to 2 minutes
Total Time: 4 minutes

Ingredients:
Any tomato sauce
Any cream sauce, but I would suggest an Alfredo sauce with aged Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Mix the two sauces together and then microwave until hot all the way through.
2. After you cook the pasta of your choice, add the sauce to it.

It's that simple, and it will make you ask yourself why you haven't done this before.

Béchamel Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Total Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1/2-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoon flour
Italian spices, to taste

Directions:
1. Heat Parmesan with wine and add flour while stirring. Stir until it's an even paste.
2. Add milk and spices, still stirring.
3. Add remaining milk and stir until it is your preferred texture. It will thicken as it sits, so keep that in mind.
4. Pour over pasta with sausage and/or spinach and you're good to go!

Bacon Bacon Asparagus

Photo by Tamara Katoni

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
A lot of bacon because bacon is amazing
4 pieces of asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces
Olive oil
Grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Cook the bacon and asparagus together in a covered frying pan until the bacon is slightly crispy, and the asparagus is steamed.
2. While the bacon and asparagus cook, add Parmesan to hot pasta and stir.
3. After the Parmesan is slightly melted, stir in the bacon and asparagus.
4. Top with olive oil and stir to distribute evenly.

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