Tupperware You Are: Microwave Pasta Maker

When Tupperware released this new product, I wasn't sure about it. Really? Pasta in the microwave? But I love my Microwave Rice Maker so I used it and it is fantastic. It works great and makes an entire one of those little boxes of spaghetti aka. 6 servings. Plus it's a lot smaller than you'd expect it to be which makes for easy clean up.

Why is the Microwave Pasta Maker better than on the stove? On the stove, you have to wait for the water to boil. If you've broken the lid of your pot, like I have, this takes forever. Then I usually forget about having water boiling on the stove and half the water has evaporated by the time I remember and put the pasta in...which means there's not enough water for the amount I'd planned on making. Oops. Then after you cook it, it feels like a waste of space to stick the pot in the dishwasher because it's so big so you have to wash it by hand (something that I hate to do!) Instead of dirtying a strainer also, there are holes in the one side of the Maker so that you can put the lid on and drain the water out. (one less dish needed!) In the Pasta Maker, your spaghetti is done in 11 minutes (even the whole wheat noodles since that's what I make) - it just seems so much faster and easier.

SO, I like to buy ground beef in the 5lb packs and then brown it all at once then freeze it. This makes it easy to pull out later and add to spaghetti, chili, etc. Yesterday during my kids' nap time, I started browning then put the meat into my Medium 1 Freezer Mates (holds about 1.5lbs).

Then for the last pound, I added sauce once it was browned so that I could make Baked Spaghetti for dinner that night.

While it cooked, I made my spaghetti in the microwave. Strained the water into the sink, poured the noodles into the baking dish, and...

Put the Microwave Pasta Maker in the dishwasher! See how little room it takes up? (Of course, it's also very easy and light to wash out in the sink if that's how you roll.)