Yummy, quick and easy pasta for dinner party?

Help! I'm having a few friends over for dinner, they want pasta and I am broke...:D Need ideas for a nice pasta dish that won't cost the earth.

Was thinking pasta, garlic bread and salad.

Any ideas???

If you don't want a creamy one maybe try this:

Fresh spinach, garlic, marinated olives (chopped), sundried toms (chopped), fetta

We fry the garlic and some onions in a bit of oil from the olives and toms, chuck in the chopped olives and tomatoes, fry a bit, then the cooked pasta, then the fetta and spinach last so the spinach doesn't get overcooked. Toss around a bit. Done.

So fast!

I do one that has chopped chicken (breast or thigh) and sometimes bacon pan fried then add a jar of green pesto, (or red pesto and some cream) Can also sprinkle with parmesen if you like.

Ooh they both sound yum! I like the idea of pesto - then I can just buy a jar lol!

I also do onion, garlic, bacon, egg and cream as a Carbonara but my version is so thrown together it's probably not good for a dinner party LOL

I do tuna pesto pasta. It's really quick and easy and only one pan to wash.

Just cook the pasta, then drain. Into the same pan, chuck the tuna and some jarred pesto (make sure you buy a decent one, the Leggoes one is rubbish but Sacla is good).

Warm up the tuna and pesto (about 30 seconds) then return the pasta to the pan and mix. Then serve.

I do one with pasta, a jar of pesto (coles brand is really nice), some black olives, a couple of sundried tomatoes and some toasted pine nuts - yummo!!

I do a delicious tomato, basil and ricotta pasta - always a huge hit

cut the cherry timatoes in half and squeeze out juice, mix in some olive oil and chopped garlic, salt and pepper and leave for at least 15 mins
cook the pasta (i use orechiette)
when pasta is cooked dran it and put tomato mix into pan, stir until it starts to soften (but only a tiny bit) and it heats through (coupel of mins). add pasta back in and stir to combine, crumble in ricotta (buy the deli one) and then lots of torn basil and serve immediately.
this is soooo yummy

i use 3 punnets tomatoes, 300g ricotta, 3 cloves garlic and 500g pasta for 4 people - large servings and usually leftovers

Marscapone, white wine, onion, asparagus and smoked salmon.

Slice asparagus into thin circles (about 1/2 cm). Chop onion and fry in pan with garlic and seasoning once translucent add a nice splash of wine and reduce by at least half, add the asparagus and then the marscapone, once you are ready to add to pasta (I normally do this with gnocchi) add the smoked salmon. Its very quick to prepare and everyone loves it. If you find the sauce is too thick add some pasta water to the sauce. Once the pasta is cooked through add the pasta to the sauce and cook till the pasta is nicely coated. Serve with fresh parmesan and some chives if you desire.

I make a spaghetti bolognaise that doesn't taste like a traditional spaghetti bolognaise - use canned tomato soup (the cheaper the better!) instead of bolognaise. I also put a little bit (okay maybe a lot) of merlot in, after I've browned the mince, but before I put anything else in. Once the wine has soaked up a lil bit, put in the tomato soup, then add any dried herbs you want - I generally put in basil, oregano, rosemary at least. Cook it all up, and serve with spaghetti - whenever I serve it I get asked for the recipe!

I made it for th IL's once, not realising that MIL refuses to eat spaghetti bolognaise. DH convinced her to try it, and she also asked for the recipe!

Good luck with your dinner party CQ :)

How did your party go, chicky?