HostelBookers.com has put a call out for recipes that backpackers can easily cook at a hostel. The best will be published in a recipe guide for hostels.
Here is my entry. It’s a recipe I made all throughout college when I hardly had any space or time (and sometimes still do!). It’s the easiest spaghetti ever. Reynold’s (the company that makes the Zip-Lock bags) has steamer bags that allow you to add in raw veggies or meats, a splash of water, and steam them in the microwave. I only discovered them recently, but I steam broccoli in them all the time now. It literally takes 90 seconds to freshly steam half a bag of raw broccoli. Kind of amazing. I’m including that if you want to have something with your spaghetti. Salad also goes great with it!
Ingredients:
- 1 box of pasta
- 1 can of tomato basil pasta sauce
- 1 pack (~lb.) of ground turkey or beef (I use turkey–much leaner and still tastes great)
- Raw broccoli
Steps:
1. Boil a pot of water and toss in the pasta.
2. Take a package of ground turkey and dump it all on a sauté pan on medium heat. Sauté until almost fully cooked. I don’t even use oil–the meat usually has enough juice–but feel free to add a dash of olive oil if it’s sticking.
3. Pour the entire can of tomato sauce into the sauté pan and mix thoroughly with the meat. Turn down heat and let simmer.
4. While the pasta is cooking and sauce is simmering, take a Reynold’s steamer bag and put in some fresh broccoli. Add a tablespoon of water and steam in the microwave (the time it takes to cook will be on the bag–it depends on whether you fill the bag up half-way or full).
5. Drain pasta and combine with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. You can toss the broccoli in or have it on the side.
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