Barilla

Pasta has been around for thousands of years, yet it hasn't gotten old. Whether noodles are long, skinny, flat, tubular, twisted, elbow shaped, or come in bow ties or wagon wheels, pasta is a pleaser. Always a family favorite, it can be used in soups and salads or dished out with tomato sauce, dairy, eggs, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, beans, chicken, beef, seafood, or nuts, making it the ultimate quick and easy lunch or dinner.

But a soggy or sticky noodle is a dud on a plate. Who wants to rush to put together a meal in minutes to risk it being a main flop of a course? With Barilla, which has perfected the art of making pasta for more than 130 years, there will be no guesswork, checking nervously if the noodles are nearly done. Instead, you'll effortlessly do a bang up job of plating the best tasting, firmest and tender pasta every day with any of these go-to options.

A Classic Style

For the spaghetti lover in all of us, Barilla's Classic Blue Box line of standard semolina wheat pasta comes in more macaroni shapes than one can imagine, tying tradition to today's table. Some are sleek, some are whimsical - all will cook up al dente.

Pasta-prep tips: Mix with light to chunky tomato sauces; top with pesto made from basil or parsley and toasted pine nuts or walnuts; toss with sautéed garlic in one of Fairway's extra virgin olive oils; or add to meat-based sauces (e.g., Bolognese), creamy sauces (e.g., Alfredo), or vegetable medleys (e.g., primavera).

Small Package, Big Punch

Barilla's Piccolini® makes mealtime miniature. The itty-bitty macaroni, when cooked, makes for great finger food with any pint-sized picky eaters at home or any adults who are kids at heart. "Piccolini" even means "little ones" in Italian. Plus, this pasta cooks up fast in ONLY seven minutes!

Pasta-prep tips: Dice up steamed broccoli florets, toss with cooked Piccolini® in butter or Fairway Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), and sprinkle with Bel Gioioso parmesan cheese. Or add Piccolini® to soups, from chicken to minestrone for hearty and comforting fare that packs a lot of flavor.

Pasta That Has a Ring to It

Barilla's Tortellini & Tortelloni are tight bundles of edible amusement beaming with cheesy pride in a bowl. These robust-looking rounds are actually shaped with sheets of delicate egg pasta folded around savory fillings, created with sheer artistry.

Pasta-prep tips: Whip up a sage-infused brown butter sauce to toss with Barilla's Tortellini & Tortelloni. It's an easy and elegant dish to serve at a dinner party, or to enjoy after a long day of work. There are just a few simple steps: Add unsalted butter to a preheated pan (use about a 1/2 stick of butter per pound of pasta; more if desired) with some Fairway kosher salt to taste. Whisk the butter as it melts on medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, add a few sage leaves to the pan. Watch the butter carefully as brown specks start to form and the butter turns a nutty color, indicating it's done. Remove the brown butter from heat, pour on cooked pasta, and toss gently. Use a few of the sage leaves in the butter sauce for garnish.

Barilla PLUS®

Each serving of Barilla PLUS® pasta packs some POW - protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber-packed wheat - right in your kisser. Created with golden semolina, ground flaxseed, spelt, oats, barley, and legumes, this pasta even provides 40% more protein than regular pasta! One uncooked cup of it also contains 360 mg of omega-3s, which are nutrients needed for various bodily functions. Omega-3s sourced from flaxseeds may potentially offer certain heart-healthy benefits, too. With PLUS®, you can get all this nutrition without sacrificing flavor.

Pasta-prep tips: Add these noodles to soups for a nutritious brew; make a POW nutrient-packed pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, and Fairway's fresh mozzarella, marinated peppers, olives, and EVOO; or top the pasta with some ricotta cheese, a bit of tomato sauce , mix, and serve.

Whole-Grain Goodness

Barilla Whole Grain is made with 51% whole wheat, and while you think you know what whole grains taste like, you don't really know how delicious they can be until you try Barilla Whole Grain varieties. They're tender and hearty at the same time, while providing three times the fiber of typical pasta.

Pasta-prep tips: Put together chunky pasta in a simple ratatouille style by dicing up zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and sautéing them with some Fairway EVOO and sea salt. Toss in some broiled shrimp or chicken breast strips, if you'd like. Before broiling until fully cooked, season the shrimp and chicken with minced parsley and garlic, Fairway sea salt, lemon juice, and Fairway EVOO.

Barilla Gets Saucy

With Barilla's assortment of prepared sauces, you don't have to feel guilty about cooking with convenience food. Pop open any jar, and the fragrance of authentic, Italian cooking will drift out, beckoning you to pour it onto those bare noodles. As good as homemade, these sauces showcase a range of natural ingredients - herbs like basil, oregano, and garlic to sweet peppers and mushrooms -- to enhance the sweetness of tomatoes and tempt you with lip-licking enjoyment.

Another timesaver: When you get home at the end of a long day, the first thing to do - even before you kick off your shoes - is put a pot of water on the stove to boil. This way you don't have to wait, starving and drooling, for the first bubble to break the surface, signaling it's time to add the Barilla pasta and dinner will be only 10 or so minutes away from being devoured. Buon appetito!