20 Minute Weeknight Pasta 3 WAYS

[@LindseyLouWho]

I had a suggestion; I'd love to see a series that is a take-off of the weeknight recipes but on a seriously low budget and shopping at Lidl or Aldi, and continue to introduce skills for people who weren't raised with an influence that helped them build skills for a life of healthful, delicious, home cooked meals. I see this combination of factors in a LOT of people, and most want to get started "doing better" but the barriers of cost and skill present a challenge that literally impacts their lives. Hard mode: use thrifted or Wal-mart/Dollar Store quality cooking vessels and utensils. I'd love to see YOUR take on this, because your weeknight recipes are SO attainable (and save my butt a lot!). Thanks guys!

[@adventure_hannah3841]

Agree, agree, agree! I am lucky to have been raised by a mom who got me involved in the kitchen, so I have plenty of skill and am confident. However, my family was single-income blue-collar. Now, living on my own, I'm working a minimum wage job and scraping by, and my kitchen is just a few counter spaces and an oven in my studio apartment. I can't afford (or have space for) fancy knives or specialty tools like food processor, mandolin, or immersion blender. My groceries come from Aldi, surplus shops, or food pantries. I love the inspiration these recipes give, and I almost always can make my own version. But budget meals and simple recipes are greatly appreciated!

[@goalie5733]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@adventure_hannah3841this isn’t meant as rude just typing quick. Sorry If anything comes across that way. Walmart has a version of everything above. Of the tools you list I’d get an immersion blender- it’s very small as far the tools go, can often literally hang on a wall hook. Between it and a knife you can cover most things- the two do the work of food processor and mandoline- just takes a bit longer on certain things. Knives- get you two or three max of different sizes. Like a bigger knife for mass chopping, a paring or smaller knife for small details and where it’s needed, and a serrated knife for breads and such. Definitely don’t need a full block. They’re nice when you get space. Pans wise almost anything works, just some are a bit slower or don’t get as dramatic effect as others when cooking. Say browning meat in a cheap nonstick vs cast iron. Unfortunately cast iron will always give you the better steak.. but either one cooks and there’s small hacks that you pick up from experience that you can use on the cheaper/lighter pans. I also have a TINY kitchen but the last thing I hard recommend is a true enameled cast iron Dutch oven. They’re not cheap but if you keep eye out you can find an affordable one. It’ll store in the oven when not in use. Or move to stove when you wanna use oven. It’s heavy, but really that’s the point. Many have a lid that can be flipped and used as a griddle. Remember that steak I mentioned above? Not ideal but it can work like a cast iron pan to brown it or other meats. It’s the same heavy metal. It also is perfect vessel for a slow braise for cheaper tougher cuts of meats, stews and soups, etc. With just a nonstick lighter pan and a Dutch oven you’ve opened a lot of possibilities! At that point it’s just the right method for what ingredients you have. Final suggestion as someone with no space- I use my dining table as a cook prep table. Lack of space to organize is the biggest pain for cooking.. so if you can find another spot/table nearby to use as a staging area while you prep other ingredients. Hang on your walls what you can (if you can). It’s really tough to cook in a small kitchen I know. I’ve gotten practiced and so will you- you do have my sympathies. I’m sure we can crowd source plenty of helpful hacks here

[@brianluck84]

I've been shopping exclusively at lidl and have made some pretty great meals. Going off their pasta dishes right now they have a really nice butternut squash pasta sauce that pared with tortalini and ravioli makes a quick meal.

[@samthesinger06]

Great suggestion! I completely understand. I started with those and gifted them when I could upgrade. While Walmart usually carries Dutch ovens between $15 and $30, sometimes you can find good brand cookware at places like Marshall’s. I was surprised when a friend who caters showed me what was on their shelves. We mainly shop at Aldi. Their prices for healthy food cannot be beat. Times call for calculated and smart budget moves.

[@alichevez2224]

How do u Tag him in this he needs to see this comment bc you're so right

[@Choqish]

As a mom, I appreciate your weekday recipes. Just the fact that your videos give me idea of what to cook for dinner is such a relief. Thank you!

[@rDunfee]

I'm a trained chef that moved on from the industry and even I find these videos helpful. Helps get me out of cooking ruts!

[@BradArbic]

You're slacking on the "Let's eat this thing!", and honestly its one of my favorite parts of your videos. Don't let that die, Bri... Big fan keep rocking.

[@kencase2179]

Thanks Brian! I see some new ideas for dinner this week.

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Thanks so much Ken. You a legend

[@jimpyismypal]

We just used half butternut squash for a risotto, guess we've found what we're doing for the other half!

[@viviannes9152]

I love your olive oil measurements for whatever reason they make so much more sense in my brain than traditional measurements ❤

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Yeah, giving exact measure for cooking fat is hard to do. If your pan has alot of surface area it will need more fat to cook the food properly. So zigs or squizs it is.

[@JB_Fraulein_Kunst]

Yes! Love your pasta dishes! Actually making your pesto pasta at the moment (yet again! Make that constantly and make a huge batch of the pesto cos I use it for so many things!) You never disappoint Bri cheers 🥂

[@nilabakery]

It's clear that you have a deep understanding of ingredients and cooking techniques. Your recipe is a masterclass in how to bring out the best in every element. 🙏👌🤩😊

[@samheyman09]

Oh my god! Just made dish #2 with broccoli and it's INSANE!! The breadcrumbs are to die for! Thanks so so much from Norway. You rule!

[@LindseyLouWho]

Hey Bri, just wanted to pop in while watching and thank you for suggesting an alternative for the pine nuts. You totally didn't have to, but you did. Lots of us have felt our once strong foothold in the middle class get WAY shakier these days. Little things like subbing walnuts in for the pine nuts remove a potential barrier for cost-cutting home cooks

[@sandijsmith8295]

Can’t wait to add these to my Bri’s amazing pasta rotation! Not sure what inspired me to do so but I started adding toasted panko on top of your one pot spaghetti. That little crunch makes it next level. Thank you, please keep the great content coming.

[@netlus93]

There's some interesting chef-math in your videos, with regards to how long it takes to make each dish.

[@laurenwheeler8083]

My husband and I just watched this and decided to do the same technique with ingredients we had on hand. Cooking together was fun and easy and our three teenage boys licked their plates clean! Thank you! Love your videos!

[@jaydee5022]

While you have the oven on you might as well roast all of the butternut. The soup will taste so much better made with roasted squash and the rest will be ready to put into risotto or make a dip or make a salad..... It just means that the next night's dinner is half prepped.

[@UnbeltedSundew]

Tried the middle one with the anchovies and it was badass. Thank you.

[@wehcd]

Love these ideas and especially love how you just use one pot! It's great when I don't have much stove space.

[@Salmomlox]

These are fabulous and one-pot recipes! Thank you Brian for these recipes.

[@veraxis9961]

I made the butternut squash pasta last night and it was fantastic. It was declared "restaurant worthy" by my family. I think that one is a keeper for me. I'm not sure what you did to get those pine nuts to toast so evenly, because mine were less even and starting to get dark after only 3 minutes. And yes, I had the rack just a little above middle and not right near the top or anything, so I'm not sure why it was different for me. Maybe because I used a pan with a dark coating. Not a big deal, but anyone who tries this, just keep an eye on those pinolis because toasted nuts can go from browned to burnt in a hurry.

[@natehs123]

Same thing happened to me. I think I’ll be sticking to toasting nuts in a dry pan on the stove so I can keep an eye on ‘em!

[@kenhubbard9908]

Same -- I wish I had read this before making it. My pine nuts burned to a crisp in 5 minutes and I had to throw them away. Also the squash was a bit under for me after 10 minutes. It was still good though, and I will try again with adjusted times.

[@JjrShabadoo]

B-Man bringing the heat with the OG weeds and sardines pasta dish! Love it. It’s such a subtle combo that outperforms its simplicity!

[@jacks5463]

Dude I’ve been loving the past few videos, I’m pretty cheap and don’t have a ton of time because I’m in college but lately I’ve been actually getting back into your recipes which is so nice. One of these days I’ll need to do one of your big boy recipes like the meatball sub (which is one of my favorite meals ever btw)

[@andrewkrahn2629]

We're olive oil bros! Since Brian hasn't, I'll mention that that brand of oil is wonderful. They're a bit spendy, but they actually have harvest/press dates on the bottle, and the finishing oil I got from them (smaller, greener bottle) is a good reminder that olives are a fresh fruit with some *bite* to them, not just greasy grapes. [edit: I hadn't gotten to the ad yet 😂]

[@terry5749]

I am going to make these dishes with lupin pasta so they are low carb and delicious! Love your channel! ❤🎉❤

[@JohnHausser]

Solid pasta salads ! The rapini one looks gangster

[@saltydroog854]

I've mentioned this before on here, but I'll do it again. I know this sounds crazy, but another good substitute for anchovies is soppressata. It offers a similar salty umami flavor, and similar meaty texture should you end up chewing on a small piece. Whereas the rustic chop you did is fine with anchovies, I would suggest using a cheese grater, small grate on box grater, because the soppressata is considerably less tender. My wife is disgusted by the notion of anchovies, but loves Caesar dressing. So when I make a home made Caesar I do this for her, and honestly, I can barely tell the difference and am not sure I mind what difference I can tell. So, for fussy eaters, this is a good one to keep in your back pocket.

[@jacoboblanco1555]

Used to make that bacon and shells pasta ages ago, it was addictive. Thanks for bringing it back for me. I don’t ever really cook with anchovies, will need to give that second pasta dish a try.

[@marcelaa.4116]

Excelente video, Brian.👏👏👏 Orechiette con brócoli y anchoas: una maravilla. Salvia y calabaza: ideal combinación. Gracias por estas ideas.

[@karenfox1671]

This video makes me want to keep experimenting, when you make it look so easy to create a lovely sauce. The Rapini Anchovy Pasta looks especially inspired. Those greens have to be prepared exactly that way to achieve the required effect. I'm hoping you come up with more rice skillet meals too!🤞 I just made another big pot of your Dope Chilli for tonight. Thanks so much for all the new options Brian

[@xoxobrialee]

I’m so glad I found your page recently! Long form content for the win as well!

[@shereemorgan1430]

Thank you for putting your recipes in the drop down. I love the recipes!

[@reelthat]

Made the bacon and peas dish tonight and it was amazing!

[@DunkSouth]

Thanks for this. I just discovered this channel, and as a grad student it's incredible intimidating to meal prep each week. This helps. :)

[@LoveStallion]

Orecchiette is one of my favorite pastas in the world. So great with sauces.

[@alsmit5]

Wow really? I just can’t stand cooking it. It always wants to stick together. Too stackable! Fine shape for eating but I don’t have the patience to babysit pasta

[@saintseymour]

@@alsmit5 it is one of a couple of pastas (also lasagna noodles and shells) that i will squirt a small amount of olive in the water while it cooks. heard this from a couple of sources, and it seems to help a bit. i'm not italian heritage, live in the midwest, and i don't claim to be authentic--so please don't be mean to me if this technique is heresy 😂

[@ohiko9594]

Your pasta dishes are my 5th reason to live and my 2nd reason to enjoy and keep on cooking (right after natural hunger ofc)

[@cindysebryk6015]

Okay Mr. Lagerstrom. I need a great naan recipe. You literally have made me loved by my family because of all the great food I make. I make naan and it is never good. Today was so disappointing, my naan was rubbery. Exactly what you are not looking for. My regular monthly meals from you... shepherd pie, lasagna ( with the home made milk stuff, can't remember the name, blt bread, english muffins, enchiladas, shrimp tacos, and your one pot spaghetti. I am making your meatballs tomorrow. Oh and I also make your cheese bread on repeat. Just the best chef I know. My family bags you, please make the perfect naan

[@MHarenArt]

OH GOOD GRIEF!!!!! I made the Brown Butter Sage Butternut Squash pasta dish. That was restaurant quality food! That was EXCELLENT!!!!!!! and as promised, easy! This one is a keeper for me.

[@tomaszp2027]

I keep coming back to those recipes, but haven't fully made one yet. It's great that they can be mixed (e.g. squash + spinach + panko)

[@dianegerlach2454]

I love butternut!!! I found myself eating it as a side with my spaghetti and eventually just served the pasta sauce over the butternut. The sweet contrast pairs so well. Also, thank you for sharing about Graza!!

[@Chhuoey]

Cooking veggies in the pasta pot is great, I always throw thawed peas in the pasta pot because it makes adding some veggies incredibly easy

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

made bolognese the other day. with some interesting new ideas. was better than expected.

[@userprime01]

Pasta with peas and cured, salty pork brings to mind Paglia e Fieno....which I haven't made in a looong time. I'm in!

[@dylanjfrank28]

These weeknight, lifestyle recipes are amazing!!

[@BenjaminVaterlaus]

Your last one is a staple in my house, except that we use qeso fresca (crumbly mexican cheese). it gives the saltiness of the parm but a different, brighter, fresher flavor - and what a great hit that gives!

[@kattykakes8135]

Don’t sleep on “Let’s eat this thing!” It’s missed 🥰

[@ButterSandwich]

I was listening to this as I was making an unrelated pasta for dinner and you said to shake the pan to agitate and get the immulsion going- which was exactly what I needed to get this pasta to work because I was struggling! So thanks for the real time instructions 😂

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Well timed. Thanks for watching BUTTSAND

[@bradydill4767]

Thank you for not including any chewing sounds in this video! I'll be making the first pasta tonight.

[@KurtisK94]

My favourite will always be your vodka pasta, I make it every week without fail.

[@fosterperformance]

Brian, you've have not upset any of us Italians with these dishes, very nice work!!! BTW - for optimal pronunciation you are needing another syllable in "oh-RECK-kee-et-te". Bravo!!

[@Skrittle21]

It took me 30 minutes to make the browned butter sage pasta and it was delicious!

[@pupil82]

I just made the butternut squash pasta and it's different and fantastic!

[@lucascady4992]

Every one of those look amazing! I am a huge fan of anchovies and or anchovy paste, I will definitely be making that one and soon!! Thanks Bri!

[@Furree_68]

Hi Bri! Thank you for all the inspiration, I love the weeknight's recepies. Also, it's super nice that you convert Fahrenheit to Celius even though I don't think you have to be so precisely. I mean, you rarely have a owen to set to 232 degrees. For me looking at the knob, It's "a little over 225, but not 250."😁

[@johnpandolfino8663]

No garlic in the last one? Your the man.....just ordered the Graza olive oil.....gonna make them all....they look delicious

[@88Eleo]

Gorgeous recipes…I am Italian and I suggest to toss the pasta in the sauce right after you drained it ❤

[@BrianLagerstrom]

I wanted to keep these one pot, great tip tho.

[@sethwick8348]

Any advice on getting the emulsion to form without shaking the pan? I have a glass top electric stove and sliding a post back and forth like that will scratch the surface.

[@jasonjaeger7383]

We loved the squash recipe! Will be trying the others soon

[@davidmun1601]

Keep up the great work!

[@azilbean]

You are speaking my love language...pasta+easy+delicious = 😊😊😊

[@yhavin]

Love your recipes Brian; I watch everything that comes out! I felt I need to say that preheating an oven should be part of the recipe time. When I get home from work and preheat it, it could take 15-20 minutes to get to 400 or 425. Yes, I do prep work during this time, but I can't start roasting butternut squash or whatever from the first second...

[@KryssAA]

Ahah I really expected you to eat that forkful of anchovies ! I can't wait to try this recipe actually, really loved that stuff.

[@thegrandcricket]

I'm always amused when he does that and by his reactions. I think my favorite so far was when he tried a spoonful of Better Than Bouillon (or was it a ready to use demi-glaze?) and had this crazy reaction because it was sooo salty! 😂

[@lucagattoni-celli1377]

Sage plants our incredibly resilient, ours has unexpectedly survived and thrived for a full year here in Northern Virginia.

[@a_l_e_k_sandra]

Sage is a perennial, mine survived -22 C (-7.6 F) during a couple of extreme winters. I have had the same plant for ten years now. She loves extreme pruning in spring.

[@lucagattoni-celli1377]

@@a_l_e_k_sandra duly noted!

[@janetpaulus4684]

Thanks!

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Thanks so much Janet!

[@janetpaulus4684]

@@BrianLagerstrom you're welcome honey! Love you two

[@alainaval]

You always make me smile

[@murphy81775]

Three amazing-looking dishes. Thanks, as always!

[@Diffyemo]

Bro, I made the squash pinenuts dish. I wasn't ready for how good that tasted. Thank you!

[@christwining3063]

Some hot Italian sausage crumbles would be awesome with the butternut squash pasta.

[@mattymattffs]

That first one. Cook squash to mush. Add some cream and pasta water, amazing sauce

[@AdamMikolon]

dude I make almost the exact same orecchiette and broccoli rabe dish on a regular basis! I add half a pound of crumbled sweet Italian sausage and I use pecorino instead of parm, and it's literally one of my favorite things to eat

[@eamonnkmurphy]

the last pasta is my jam! btw, i miss that stand up bass background tune that you used to play in your older videos. i say bring it back!

[@Donaldopato]

The second pasta looks fab! Love rapini and yes Anchovies RULE!🎉

[@noahpippen]

Made the butternut squash pasta tonight and loved it! Thanks!

[@garyovermyer1050]

You know what makes Brian so Special? No where in the Title does he tell you that these are All One Pot Dishes! So very easy! He shows you that You can Do This!

[@gillianlindeen5823]

This video is wonderful. This video is needed. May I request for one of these epic multi weeknight dinner videos where none of the recipes have cheese? :3

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Add N. YEAST. ITs not 1:1 but I'm sure you can get close if you toy around with it. It's very cheese and does actually thicken sauces like semi melted parm does.

[@BertoSupreme]

Waiter: How much butter would you like? Brian: yes

[@TheMillzDillz]

Hey Bri! What about us Lactards who don’t wanna eat those delicious pastas on the toilet 🤷🏻‍♂️have you found some decent plant based butter brands? Or any dairy free parm substitutions? All your stuff looks great as always, thanks for all the great content!! P.S. I’ve used some decent dairy free sour creams to make some cream sauces and it’s worked alright (get some separation) 🤙

[@alejandrocordero8488]

Hey dude, I came to one of your most recent videos to compare with one about knives you recorded a year ago. I want to say I am no expert but you improved a lot the lightning. You are doing a great job, keep going! It makes you look a lot smarter and why not? handsome! I would add some lightning at your left side tho!

[@stenaglia5753]

I make the rapini dish with ground sausage. era buonissimo!

[@elsafischer3247]

All the suggestions are great

[@BrianLagerstrom]

THANKS!

[@pamyacuzzo6614]

You are amazing! Thanks so much for the inspiration!

[@padders1068]

Hey Bri! They all looked delicious and easy. Thanks for sharing! ❤

[@Jaycarr007]

THANKS! LOOKS LIKE I'LL TASTE IT REAL SOON.😁

[@jasonjaeger7383]

I love this video format

[@naomikellogg]

I wish Graza shipped to the EU! In any case, thanks for a great video Brian.

[@connorjohnson8524]

Awesome video! You have quickly become my favorite person to watch for cooking ideas and I always look forward to your new videos for dinner ideas! If you see this I do have one question! I love making fresh pasta when I have time, but I’m not the best at knowing when to use it vs dried pasta. Would you recommend fresh pasta for any of these dishes/do you have any tips for when to use one vs the other?

[@natachaw23]

I've had a b nut squash on the counter for a week, and finally it's time has come. Great recipes!

[@drigaaz]

Thanks for another great video!

[@frankc.357]

Anchovies are, in fact, dope.

[@bmansdad9891]

Nice job Leroy!

[@gfsvc]

ugh I like 90% of your recipes but that butternut turned out so so sweet. Give me more savoury plz

[@toxicwaltzn8175]

Noice! My mom and I have been stocking up on all sort of varieties of DeCecco pasta over the past few months.

[@JB_Fraulein_Kunst]

DeCecco is the absolute boss of pasta! So forgiving too, doesn't turn into mush easily

[@charlottetooth1457]

These look so good!

[@OhNoTheFace]

Wow, that is a bunch of things I keep in my kitchen :P

[@jozefina9997]

I like it, I cook similar food, lots of greetings from Adriatic Coast

[@thegrandcricket]

Hey Bri, I love all these pasta dish ideas. I mean, who doesn't love a big bowl of buttery cheesy noodles?? Cacio e Pepe is my fav, lol! In that first dish, I know you suggested subbing in walnuts for the pine nuts, but have you every tried it with sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds)? I've used those a few times myself because it's just what I had on hand. Different, but I find them to be pretty tasty too! I really *really* hope you made and filmed that soup. I've been on a making soup kick recently and I for one, absolutely wanna see it! I think that would be an interesting route to go with some future videos- different/other dishes to make with extra ingredients that were originally purchased for one meal that need to be used up. Thanks for another awesome video, much love to you and Lorn from South Florida! 😎🌴☀

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Thanks for watching! that soup recipe is in my Creamy Soup Blueprint video if you haven't seen.

[@christineb8148]

I have used pepitas and they are really good with these flavors! I often use pecans instead too (I'm from pecan country) and they are buttery and delicious!

[@ChiIeboy]

Genius - as always.

[@BigGrannydb]

Nicelydone, Bri!

[@ruthallen1159]

Yum to all 3!

[@barbarareyes3005]

Hi Bri thank you so much for this recipes...i try to cut on carbs for the family and these are very good recipes to side dish our proteins ... love these creations 👏👏🙏🙏🙏🙏👍👍😍😍😎😎 God Bless

[@scarlet2836]

I’ve been loving your content lately and you might be my new favorite cooking youtuber especially since my former favorite cooking youtuber has kinda…fallen flat. Nonetheless these recipes seem exciting especially the squash recipe, in the summer I made the Shawarma Tahini salad and in the winter I could give the brown butter sage pasta a try

[@applecake6373]

It crushes my soul when I see an oven used cause I dont have one

[@dinewithfable]

Fresh and tasty. 🍝