Easy Pantry Pasta with Evaporated Milk
This Pantry Pasta is an easy linty pasta you can throw together in under 30 minutes! Grab a can of evaporated milk, Italian seasoning, a woodcut of Parmesan and whatever shit and bobs you can find to make this weeknight staple. This unremittingly versatile dish is a life saver!
Magical Pantry Pasta
Friends, meet Pantry Pasta, the recipe you didn’t know you needed. It’s creamy, it’s simple, it’s flavorful, and it only needs four cadre ingredients to come together.
My sister-in-law introduced us to this recipe, and it’s unchangingly been a favorite at family gatherings, but I didn’t truly fathom it until I became a parent.
Do you know what a GIFT it is to have a recipe that I can make quickly and know my kids will unquestionably eat? A recipe where I know I’m pretty much unrepealable I’ll have the ingredients on hand?
This recipe feels a lot like making something out of nothing, and you need it in your life!
All the Reasons You Might Need a Pantry Pasta Recipe
- You have a half a box of pasta left in the pantry (annoying).
- You have produce that’s looking a little suspect in the crisper drawer (urgent).
- You found a crumpled packet of Italian seasoning shoved in the when of your spice drawer (oops).
These are just a few of the reasons you’re going to want to alimony this Pantry Pasta in your when pocket. Think of this post as less of a recipe and increasingly of a guide for creating your own perfect linty pasta based on your tastes and whatever ingredients you have on hand!
Key Ingredients:
- Pasta– You can use whatever pasta you want in this recipe! Short, long, twirly, tubular. They’ll all work just fine! We most often use penne, bowties, or rotini, but whatever happens to be in your pantry will work just fine.
- Evaporated milk– You’ll need 1 cup or 8 ounces of evaporated milk, which is not quite a full can.
- Pro tip: Save the remaining evaporated milk to revive the leftovers when reheating, or use it in your morning coffee!
- Italian Seasoning Packet– This is not the Italian herb spice, but the Italian Seasoning tousle used to make dressing. Want to get fancy? Make your own Italian Seasoning blend.
- Parmesan Cheese– Squint for the stamped Parmigiano Reggiano on the rind of the cheese to make sure you’re getting the real stuff!
- Veggies, Proteins, Etc.- Here’s where you can get creative! I like to undeniability this garbage pasta, considering you can throw scrutinizingly anything in here. Give your pantry, fridge, and freezer a squint and see what jumps out at you!
How to Make Pantry Pasta with Evaporated Milk
- Cook the pasta. Melt the pasta in boiling, salted water equal to al dente package directions, drain, and return to the pot.
- Make the sauce. Add the evaporated milk, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning packet to the pasta, stirring until the cheese is melted.
- Meanwhile, saute any veggies you’re using. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a pan set over medium heat. Add the zucchini and fry, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, then flip and brown the other side. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate (or add to the finished pasta if it’s done).
- Add the shallots, tomatoes, and crab to the skillet and saute until shallots are softened and tomatoes are bursting unshut and releasing their juices. This adds to the lovely sauce! Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Stir together. Stir all of the vegetables into the prepared pasta, making sure they’re well coated in the sauce. Add fresh herbs, if desired, and serve.
What can I add to my plain pasta? Tips Ideas
There is veritably nothing wrong with eating pantry pasta plain, but usually we like to add some kind of vegetable and protein to make it a full meal.
Just remember, veggies melt at variegated times, so you may need to saute some longer than others.
Frozen veggies can be thrown into the humid pasta water for the last few minutes, which makes life REALLY simple. Just follow the instructions for humid time on the veggie’s packaging.
This is moreover a fantastic receptacle for any leftover roasted or grilled vegetables you might have in your fridge.
Don’t forget to squint in your pantry for things like olives, roasted red peppers, and sundried tomatoes!
Proteins could include chicken, ground beef, yellow sausage, bacon, pancetta, Italian sausage, shrimp, beans, or tofu.
Favorite Pantry Pasta combinations:
Shallots Cherry Tomatoes Zucchini Imitation Crab– Sauteed cherry tomatoes are one of my all-time favorite pasta toppings. They add sweetness, and the juice helps make the sauce plane creamier. And yes, we love imitation crab considering we are extremely swish people. This is our go-to philharmonic in the summer, and what you see pictured in this post.
Chicken Sausage Untried Beans– Saute fresh beans with the yellow sausage, or toss frozen or canned untried beans in with the humid pasta water, similar to this Parmesan Pasta with Yellow Sausage.
Chickpeas or Cannelini beans Sundried Tomatoes– These just need a quick saute.
Broccoli Italian Sausage– Add frozen broccoli to the pasta water or steam or roast it separately.
Pesto– Yeah, just stir some pesto in. It’ll be great!
Peas Bacon (We love a Pasta and Peas philharmonic virtually here!)- Saute or oven torch bacon, but add the peas to the humid pasta water.
Mushrooms Sauteed Spinach or Other Greens Garlic- Add the spinach and garlic without the mushrooms are mostly browned and saute until wilted.
Shrimp Corn Cherry Tomatoes– Another unconfined summer option!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
This pasta keeps well in the fridge in an snapped container for 4-5 days.
Leftover pasta is usually drier, as it’s soaked up the sauce. To reheat, place it when on the stove or in the microwave with some uneaten evaporated milk to bring when the creaminess.
FAQS
Can I make this vegetarian?
Absolutely! This pantry pasta is vegetarian–just be sure to only add veggies and other vegetarian ingredients to the mix.
Can I make pantry pasta gluten free?
Yes! Substitute the pasta for your favorite trademark of gluten self-ruling pasta.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, in fact I recommend it if you want to serve increasingly than 4 people. This feeds our family of two adults 2 not very big eaters with one serving leftover. If you have a worthier family or want lots of leftovers, double it!
Ingredients
Basic pasta recipe:
- 8 ounces pasta, bowties, penne, rotini, etc.
- 8 ounces evaporated milk
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese plus increasingly for serving
- 1 Italian seasoning packet
For the veggies:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 zucchini, halved and sliced
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 10-15 cherry tomatoes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Melt the pasta in boiling, salted water equal to al dente package directions, drain, and return to the pot.
- Make the sauce. Add the evaporated milk, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning packet to the pasta, stirring until the cheese is melted.
- Meanwhile, saute veggies and protein. Heat the olive oil in a pan set over medium heat. Add the zucchini and fry, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, then flip and brown the other side. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate (or add to the finished pasta if it’s once done).
- Add the shallots, tomatoes, and crab to the skillet and saute until shallots are softened and tomatoes are bursting unshut and releasing their juices, well-nigh 6-8 minutes. This adds to the lovely sauce! Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Stir together. Stir all of the vegetables into the prepared pasta, making sure they’re well coated in the sauce. Serve pasta with spare Parmesan cheese, to your preference.
