# Need Noodle Pasta Ideas WITHOUT Tomato! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 10, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396 "2009-06-10T23:54:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Snowcarpet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowcarpet/32/257_2.png) [@Snowcarpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowcarpet)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/41 "2009-06-11T15:43:50Z")
Another sauce with tuna: Saute garlic and/or onion in olive oil in skillet. Add a couple cans of your preferred tuna (this also works with about ANY canned seafood product: clams, shrimp, salmon…) Add fresh or dried herbs-of-choice: parsley, basil, oregano etc. Dump on spaghetti or linguine. ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/42 "2009-06-11T15:50:02Z")
Spaghetti **Mizithra**! Supposedly this is what Homer ate exclusively while writing the Iliad. My favorite pasta dish, and it’s so easy from scratch: * * * 1 lb spaghetti (or penne, or whatever you prefer) 3/4 cup unsalted butter (you could use salted, but the cheese is pretty salty) mizithra cheese Cook the noodles. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. I usually toss in a spoon of minced garlic and a couple shakes of oregano. Let the butter simmer for a few minutes, then remove from heat. Use a spoon to skim off and discard the white solids that separated from the butter. Add the “clarified” butter to the noodles. Add finely grated mizithra cheese and stir. Lots of it. Go on, a little more. * * * The most time-consuming part is cooking the noodles. And by far the hardest part is finding the mizithra (aka mizythra or myzithra) cheese. It’s around $10/lb at a few large grocery stores, and $6/lb if you can find it at a Greek/Italian importer. Anyone know of such a place in Houston? ETA: The cheese will last forever in the fridge, so if you find it at a good price buy several pounds! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/43 "2009-06-11T15:53:03Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Would adusting the proportions of peanut butter/soy sauce/sesame oil be OK? This sounds awesome to try, but I am a sesame-oil fiend and would like to add more 😃 Maybe I could toast a little flour in the oven, and throw that in to keep the sauce from turning into an oil slick. Oh, sure! Adjust to taste and consistency. ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/44 "2009-06-11T16:12:46Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Actually, I wouldn’t mind everything BUT Italian-style dishes. Not that Italian is bad, but some of my mainstays are from there and, like I said, I’m looking for variety. I’m getting a little tired of alfredo. > > Would LOVE more Asian type noodle dishes! Oh, for that I’d have to recommend **Pad Thai**. I use a box of thin stir-fry rice noodles (or lately I’ve been using a half-box of really fine rice noodles), half a jar of prepared Pad Thai sauce, a fistfull of frozen stir-fry veggie mix, a chicken breast (or tofu - bleh) cut up and sauteed in (olive) oil, a fistfull of frozen cooked shrimp (optional), and a scrambled egg (optional). Maybe serve it with lime juice (optional), chopped peanuts (optional), and bean sprouts (optional). It takes 15-25 minutes with practice. Just basically follow the instructions on the sauce jar. The sauce is red, but usually doesn’t contain tomatoes. ---
**Author:** ![bellybean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@bellybean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bellybean)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/45 "2009-06-11T16:36:09Z")
I more or less use the cold sesame noodle recipe from Cooks Illustrated. They call for something like 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and 1/4 peanut butter (but I’m sure almond butter would be delicious). I blend that with a couple of garlic cloves and fresh ginger, along with soy, rice wine vinegar (I think), a tiny bit of sugar and enough warm water to get the texture right. You rinse the noodles with cold water and then add a few tsps sesame oil and mix that well before adding the sauce as well as diced chicken. Top with more toasted sesame seeds, scallions if you like, grated carrots if you like. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/46 "2009-06-11T16:46:58Z")
Easy, fast, delicious and can be adapted in tons of various ways. **Lemon Pasta** Toss hot, cooked pasta with equal parts lemon juice and olive oil. Season with: Lemon zest, salt and pepper. Chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, whatever you have on hand) Grated Parmesan or other sharp dry cheese Top with: Seafood Chicken More cheese Toasted nuts Olives Sauteed spinach or other greens ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/47 "2009-06-11T17:49:28Z")
[Beef Stroganoff](http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beef-Stroganoff-III/Detail.aspx). Can’t vouch for that particular recipe, but it looks much the same as what Grandma used to make when we were kids. I’m going to try it out. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/48 "2009-06-11T18:19:23Z")
Hamburger Stroganoff is great for days when you don’t want to cook. Brown hamburger, add cream of mushroom soup and milk. Spice with salt and pepper. Sometimes we add garlic powder or red pepper flakes. Pour over egg noodles, serve with sour cream. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/49 "2009-06-11T18:20:36Z")
Dice up some celery and onions (a couple of tablespoons each) and brown them in some butter. Then add a cup of heavy cream and a cup of ricotta cheese. Heat this until it’s hot (but don’t bring it to a boil) and stir in a cup of gorgonzola cheese. Heat it up again and serve on pasta. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/50 "2009-06-11T18:41:29Z")
I’d like to throw in a vote for mustard greens, as an alternative to spinach, to any of these suggestions. It has a different flavor. I don’t really even cook it; as with spinach you just throw it in the hot pasta and it cooks well enough. I enjoy mixing penne pasta with asparagus, cut into similarly sized pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and some cheese and you’ve got instant yum. I am now dying to convert my peanut recipes into almond butter recipes. I love that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/51 "2009-06-11T19:20:27Z")
Garlic wine sauce. I got the recipe from a local restaurant: Garlic White wine Salt Pepper Butter Cook until you think it’s ready, then serve with grated Parmesian. And I’ll second the enthusiasm for pesto. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/52 "2009-06-11T19:40:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Walnut & olive oil & garlic with some chopped or torn parsley (a common late night after-drinking snack one of my Italian friends makes) Pesto can also be made with walnuts and cilantro. Or just about any nut and any fresh herb - it’s all a matter of preference. Just play around a bit. One of my faves when I happen to have a bunch of mushrooms and sour cream to use up: dice & saute some onions and garlic and mushrooms. When they are almost done, add a bit of sherry, some sage, some black pepper, and some sour cream (and Parmesan or Romano or Asiago if you have it handy). Mix and warm through, and serve over pasta. (This is good with spinach added, too.) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/53 "2009-06-11T20:11:54Z")
> [@RedRosesForMe](#): > > What about cold pasta? It’s summer, so pasta salad makes a refreshing and easy dinner. I’ve starting using whole wheat pasta and found it’s kind of mealy, or grainy (I know, it’s probably supposed to be grainy) or something when I used it in cold pasta salad. I cooked it to al dente so it would stand up, but maybe it’s just not as good in cold salads as white pasta? I’ve only tried it once, though, so any reassurances or tips would help. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/54 "2009-06-11T20:25:15Z")
1. Asian (or really any other kind) noodles in miso soup. You can make miso soup fancy, with all kinds of exotic seaweed and Japanese vegetables, or you can just make it with ginger, garlic, miso and a dash of soy sauce. 2. For peanut sauce alternatives, you could experiment with replacing peanut butter with tahini, which is ground sesame seeds (in other words, sesame butter). Probably would make OK sesame noodles. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/55 "2009-06-11T22:28:04Z")
Just wanted to say I really appreciate the recipes with spinach and greens - my garden is really starting to produce those now. I’m getting ideas! ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/56 "2009-06-11T22:49:20Z")
I just came up with an amazing tomato-free pasta dish that we’ve had two weeks in a row. It features asparagus, so now’s the perfect time for this dish. You could make it with any kind of pasta, but I used rhombi. Basically, roast asparagus and mushrooms with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, then mix together with cooked pasta and finish with your grated cheese of choice. Further details and a sexy photo at the bottom of my blog post, [here](http://shinycake.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/my-very-first-csa-box/). ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/57 "2009-06-12T01:27:27Z")
We do a thyme pasta here - well, we used to before I became gluten intolerant. Lots of thyme in olive oil - saute chicken or tofu. Steam asparagus (I suppose you could try something else) just a little. Boil pasta. Drain pasta - remove protein from oil, add pasta to oil, stir to coat, add back protein and asparagus. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/58 "2009-06-12T02:10:22Z")
**Dangerosa** , aren’t there non-gluten pasta choices? Rice noodles, perhaps? Others? ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/59 "2009-06-12T03:01:46Z")
Hrmm… after looking through the recipes, this will seem very lame in comparison, but it is still one of my favorite dishes to this day… half lb or so of egg noodles 1 can of tuna fish 1 can of combo cream of mushroom/chicken add some milk if you want it creamier Simple, i know. Stupidly easy to fix though, and I still find it delicious. Likely because it was what dad made when mom was gone for the night. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396/60 "2009-06-12T05:27:57Z")
Noodles + a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom/Chicken/Etc. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-noodle-pasta-ideas-without-tomato/499396.md?page=4)