🍝🍝🍝Simple Ingredients, Surprising Results

Published: Tue, 10/07/25

Updated: Tue, 10/07/25

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“A plate of pasta a day keeps the sadness away.” - Massimo Bottura

🍝🍝🍝~A Few Words From Susan~🍝🍝🍝

Pasta has always been more than a pantry staple in my family - it’s been a source of comfort and creativity. This issue focuses on pasta dishes that are easy on the budget as well as simple to prepare.

My mother and grandmother both had a wonderful way of turning leftovers into something new, and one of my favorites was their fried noodles, crisped in a pan until golden and irresistible. This week, I’m sharing a video that shows you how to make that simple, satisfying dish at home.

We’re also featuring a reader-submitted recipe for a 4-can pasta salad that proves easy can still be delicious. And since nothing beats the flavor of homemade pasta, we’re offering 50% off the Cestari Pasta Maker so you can create your own fresh noodles from scratch.

This week, we launched a very special subscriber benefit. AN Ingredient Substitution Guide, that finds you alternative ingredients for those times you find yourself in a middle of a recipe and realize that you forget to check if you had everything before starting. You can access it here: swap.cestarikitchen.com. Please bookmark the link on both desktop and mobile, and let me know what you think about it.

Best,

Susan

Subscriber Bonus - Scroll Down to See if You Won!

Each week, we announce a winner of a free Cestari product - you pick your prize from our entire product catalog!

One winner is randomly selected from subscribers each week, and announced at the bottom of the newsletter.

Trivia Question

In which century was dried pasta first produced on a commercial scale in Italy?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

Fried Noodles in 5 Minutes 🍝 Nostalgic 3 Ingredient Comfort Food Recipe

A quick, nostalgic recipe for Fried Noodles — a wonderful comfort food my grandmother used to make. With just leftover pasta, butter, and breadcrumbs, you’ll have a crispy, golden side dish on the table in minutes. Perfect for weeknights or a taste of childhood.

Tip of the Week: Save Your Pasta Water

Before draining your noodles, reserve a cup of pasta cooking water. The starch in this liquid helps emulsify sauces, turning them glossy and velvety while binding them beautifully to the pasta. A splash can rescue a sauce that feels too thick or dry.

Recipe of the Week

This week's recipe is a submission from Melinda in Pennington, NJ.

"As a single mom with no time and very little money, this quick meal has become not only a family favorite but always a big hit at summer barbecues. Typically, I have all of these ingredients in my pantry."

4 Can Pasta Salad

(if you’re feelin' fancy, call it Southwestern Pasta Salad

)

12-16 oz pasta (medium shells my fave)

1 can red, kidney, or black beans

1 can corn

1 can black olives

1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (Rotel or similar) DO NOT DRAIN

1-2 cups grated cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)

1-2 cups Ranch or Spicy Ranch dressing

Cook pasta and drain, add cheese while hot so it melts in. Add dressing to coat pasta, then add all other ingredients and if desired, more dressing. I love it served hot but it can be served cold as well.

Bonus: add broccoli florets to end of pasta cooking. Add some leftover chicken if desired.

Special Offer for Newsletter Subscribers

Save 50% on Cestari's Ultimate Pasta Machine, with a nonstick suction base. Save 50% with code PASTA50P through October 14 at the Cestari store on Amazon

Cestari Products Used This Week

Use code 10FORPASTA to save 10% on any of the Cestari products below.

Cestari Cutting Board: Made from beautiful sustainable bamboo, this board is kind to knives and doesn't deposit microplastics in your food

Cestari Garlic Peeler has ridges lining the silicone tube, removing garlic skin more completely than budget tubes.

Cestari 6 inch Serrated Knife makes quick work of mincing garlic

Cestari Medium Storage Jar made of borosilicate glass, which can withstand temperature changes, and with an airtight seal

Cestari Ultimate Pasta Machine makes quick work of homemade pasta, and can be positioned anywhere on the table with its patented nonstick suction base.

Reader's Tips for Pasta

Madeline from Metairie, Louisiana shares "I make my own spaghetti sauce and like to make enough so that I can freeze for another meal. You can always add meatballs, or what I call "loose" ground meat. Just fry some ground meat, drain the grease, and add to the sauce. Also, Italian sausage is good to add."

Michael from Cedar Park, Texas shares, “When making baked pasta, I undercook the noodles slightly so they finish cooking in the oven without turning mushy.”

Linda from Anchorage, Alaska notes, “For extra protein, I stir a can of drained chickpeas into warm pasta with olive oil and herbs - simple, filling, and delicious.”

David from Friendswood, Texas comments, “When rolling fresh pasta, I dust the sheets with semolina instead of flour. It prevents sticking but doesn’t cloud the sauce later.”

Susan from Parker, Colorado adds, “I keep small bags of frozen spinach on hand - just toss a handful into boiling pasta for an instant boost of color and nutrition.”

The winner of this week's Free Cestari Product is Marti Schultz. Marti please select your product from the Cestari Store on Amazon, and send us an email at support@cestarikitchen.com letting us know what you'd like, and where we should ship it.

💡 Answer to Trivia Question:

The 13th century.

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