10-Minute Meals: Bolognaise Spaghetti

      Wooo, we're back! Sorry for the MIA status, university has been such a huge roller coaster ride. Anywho, university started two months ago, and I (Char) have realised I just couldn't keep eating out for dinner, just because there isn't a stove in the kitchen. Similarly, I couldn't bare to let myself survive on instant noodles every night either, can I? And so, I have started to experiment with the microwave that we have and there and then, begun, my college culinary adventure! You see, living in a student apartment, with a shared dining area and a well-equipped dry kitchen, gives me the little perks of having at least a microwave, fridge and cabinets for my usage, as compared to my counterparts in public university dorms. Although stoves aren't allowed at my place as well to avoid us burning up the whole building, but thanks to the microwave, we were able to whip something out in a short amount of time to fill our tummies.

      So, I thought I'd share some tips on how to make your college life a little easier with a segment on the 3BW blog, with content surrounding how to make food in a knick of time! For the first post, I'll be sharing with you how to make Bolognaise Spaghetti, everyone's favourite Italiano meal! The steps are really easy-peasy and kind of a no-brainer for people who have had experience with a microwave. 

STEP 1: 

Prepare the ingredients which you can easily get from a departmental store near you and make sure to have a microwave. Any type of pasta or pasta sauce will do, according to your personal preference. As a college student, we want to save as much as possible, right? So, be on a lookout for two-for-one promotions! And by that, I mean sometimes, the spaghetti is sold together with a bottle of sauce. So, keep your eyes peeled! Another great tip is to get packet stoppers as well. Trust me, they'll be your best friend.

STEP 2:

Soak a handful of spaghetti into hot boiling water in Corningware or a microwaveable bowl. The reason why I said hot boiling water is so that the spaghetti would soften easier and quicker in the microwave, rather than waiting for the water to boil first. 

STEP 3:

Pop the Corningware into the microwave and heat it up for 8 minutes or so, according to the kind of pasta you're using. Thicker pastas usually take a longer time to cook, so be mindful of that when you're buying them. After 8 minutes, if the pasta's not soft enough, reheat it up in 30-second intervals, checking after each to see if it is thoroughly softened. Pour away the water. For a healthier option, rinse the pasta with cold water/tap water to eliminate the starch.

STEP 4:

Scoop four spoonfuls of pasta sauce onto the Corningware, again depending on how much sauce you'd like. Here is where you can also opt to throw in some baby tomatoes or other veges but at that moment, I didn't have those with me and I was lazy, so I didn't add any good stuff into my sauce. Pop that into the microwave and heat it up for 30 seconds.

STEP 5:

Mix the spaghetti and the pasta sauce up and voila! Makan time! :)

     It didn't even take me 10 minutes, really! So, if you're having a long day at college and the last thing you want to do is cook yourself a full-blown meal or go out with a bunch of friends who're always so indecisive on where to eat, try this 10-minute meal out! It's quick, fast and you don't need a lot of ingredients!