Pastas

One of the biggest reasons why people don't get into pasta is that they believe that it's very difficult to make, but that's not the case at all. It can seem that way after you've had bad pasta, but the truth is that most mistakes in pasta can be easily prevented.

For example, if you've had pasta that was too hard, the root cause of that is simply cooking time -- you want to avoid having pasta become undercooked, because then it becomes unpleasant to actually eat. Generally speaking, most pasta should be cooked for around 15 minutes, or until the pasta is considered firm to the bite -- the Italians call this al dente.

You may want to make the pasta a little softer than that for young children, but if you're serving adults they will appreciate the firm pasta, especially when it's paired with other ingredients.

It's no secret that there is more than one type of pasta, and this is a fact that can overwhelm new cooks rather easily. Thankfully, there's a few starting pastas that are bound to be hits on your kitchen table; some of these can even be made at home, and dried with your own pasta rack.

• Penne. Penne pasta is absolutely delicious, and can be used fantastically in both salads as well as casseroles. The long noodles are hollow but small, which means that they take sauce quite well. There are other types of pasta that can be filled with a variety of sweet and savory ingredients if you so desire.

• Manicotti. These long tubular pasta noodles are perfect if you want to have them filled with savory ingredients, like spinach and ricotta cheese. It's a great way to get picky eaters to get their vegetable requirements, since the spinach goes down easily with the pasta.

• Macaroni. Just about everyone knows macaroni pasta -- it's probably one of the cheapest pasta's to find, and it works well as a  hot, cheesy casserole or just something whipped up on the fly.

No matter which of these pastas you choose, you'll have the foundation for a really great meal. Make sure to add some tasty sides to go with it -- chicken is always a great accompaniment to pasta. For the kids, you can surprise them with sparkling grape juice while the adults at the table have wine. It's a good compromise that makes the children feel grownup and included without introducing anything inappropriate.

All things considered, pasta is truly a versatile dish that can go with just about anything you want it to go with. If you really take the time to get into pasta cooking, you'll be rewarded with a real family favorite your household will enjoy for many years to come!