#16 Pasta for dinner

Who doesn't love pasta, right? It's inexpensive, it provides bulk and it's so versatile.

Like most carbs, pasta can be a blank canvas to which you can add just about any protein, vegetables, herbs and seasonings.

But, first, some tips on how to cook pasta and how to serve pasta dishes properly.

How to cook al dente pasta minus the myths and hype

Is a pasta pan essential? How much water should the pasta cook in? Is adding salt and oil essential? Should the noodles be stirred? What is al dente?

How to serve pasta: sauce over noodles or noodles in sauce?

Serving pasta with the sauce ladled over the noodles makes the dish look good for presentation purposes. But it's wrong, and that's why the Italians don't do it that way.

Here are some of my best pasta dishes

Cajun shrimp and mushroom spaghetti

Creamy and spicy, cooking Cajun shrimp and mushroom spaghetti is made easier and faster by using frozen shelled and deveined shrimps.

Pasta arrabbiata with fresh clams

We do love clam soup especially in chowder form, but there are far more ways to enjoy fresh clams. As the protein component in a pasta dish, clams are especially delightful.

Chicken broccoli pasta

Butter, cream, garlic, chicken and pasta. What's not to like? The recipe is easy; it’s hard to mess up with this chicken broccoli pasta unless you start scrimping on the ingredients. Because that’s where the magic lies — the freshest chicken, the freshest broccoli and copious amounts of butter and cheese. No scrimping allowed.

Beef brisket BBQ pasta

Protein, veggies and carbs in one perfect bowl. And the crowning glory? Grated Pecorino. It's truly a new level of deliciousness.

Fettucine aglio e olio with mussels

The best cooking lessons any cook will ever learn are those that result from brave experimentations. Not from cookbooks, not from food blogs, not from TV and not from Youtube. That’s how I learned that cooking with mussel broth is magic.