Oodles of Noodles

By: Nicole Kucharski

What’s the one meal that’s cheap to make, easy to reheat, and fills you up for hours? If you haven’t guessed where I’m going with this (considering the mouthwatering picture below) then I’ll give you a hint…it starts with ‘P’ and ends with ‘asta’.

All you’ll need to get you started is: a tomato sauce of your choice, ground beef, and a pack of noodles.

Some suggestions for buying your ingredients:

Purchasing at supermarkets (Kmart, Walmart, and even Jewel Osco) as opposed to smaller pharmacy stores (Walgreens, CVS) will save you money. For instance, one jar of Ragu pasta sauce will cost you $2.99 at Kmart as opposed to $6.00 at Walgreens.

Always check and see if there are any good coupons out. This is easy and can be done online even before you leave your front door. Take a look at some of these suggested sites: Clever Couponing , Red Plum, and if you’re an online shopper, check out The Coupon Clippers.

Coupon clippers is great if you want to purchase groceries for cheaper. For instance check out the great deal I got on 2 jars of Ragu sauce and 2 boxes of Barilla pasta:

Both coupons saved me $1.60. This is just one example of how coupons can make a difference. Keep in mind that when using coupon sites like this one, the more coupons you order the better deal you get. This is because by ordering more coupons, you will offset the shipping and handling fee.

Once you have your ingredients, let’s get started!

Boil noodles according to directions on box (if you prefer your noodles al-dente this should take even faster). Fry one pack of ground beef on an oiled pan until it no longer looks pink. Make sure to break the beef apart into little chunks while frying. Pour one jar of tomato sauce into a small saucepan and heat until it begins to boil. When the sauce and ground beef are finished, mix them together and heat for an additional minute on very low heat.

If you prefer meatballs over broken up ground beef, follow the simple directions below:

Mix the following ingredients: 1 lb lean ground beef, 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, 1/3 cup water , 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 medium onion, salt,  and pepper. Take the mixture and mold into small meatballs. Fry meatballs on frying pan until brown and slightly crisp. Add meatballs into tomato sauce and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

Voila, you have yourself an easy and filling meal!