This Costco Hack for Easy Restaurant-Style Pasta Dinners Is a Game-Changer

Pasta sauce just got some serious competition.

Here at Allrecipes, we are always on the hunt for the best new easy dinner hack. Any trick that claims to make a jaw-dropping dinner and save time is worth trying in our book. That's why when we saw a hack for using store-bought lobster bisque to create a restaurant-worthy pasta dish using only six ingredients, we had to give it a try.

How To Use Soup To Make an Easy Pasta Dinner

If you love soup and you love pasta, then why not combine them to create the ultimate dish? Inspired by this method, we set out to create our own versions.

The genius part about Rachel’s dish is her swap of soup for sauce. Instead of making your own multi-ingredient sauce from scratch, or settling for run-of-the-mill marinara or pesto, this viral pasta hack uses store-bought lobster bisque. It's as flavorful as any pasta sauce, and since the soup is cream-based, it’s thick enough to perfectly coat the pasta. A couple other quick and low-lift additions—onion, tomatoes, langostine tails or shrimp—instantly turn the dish into a full meal.

The Costco Hack for Easy Pasta Dinners

To recreate the dish you can get everything at Trader Joe’s, or recreate the meal with products from another one of our favorite grocery spots: Costco. Grab a package of the Signature Lobster Bisque Soup (it comes as a set of two!) and your favorite pasta and you’re ready to go! While you’re there pick up some cherry tomatoes and frozen shellfish of your choice, or skip it and make it a 2-ingredient dinner!

But don't stop there—if seafood pasta isn't your thing, you can try this hack with almost any soup and pasta combination. We scoured the aisles of Costco for even more ideas and came up with the following:

• Clam Chowder Pasta: Combine warmed clam chowder with 12 ounces cooked bowtie pasta. Make it a meal by adding a can of minced clams and cooked diced onions, carrots, and celery.

• Hearty Vegetable Soup Pasta: Combine warmed vegetable soup with 12 ounces cooked macaroni. Make it a meal by stirring in some thawed, frozen chopped spinach and 1 or 2 links of sliced Italian sausage.

• Chicken Tortilla Soup Pasta: Combine warmed chicken tortilla soup with 12 ounces cooked penne pasta. Make it a meal by adding 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken and 1 cup prepared pico de gallo. Garnish with shredded cheese.

• Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Pasta: Combine warmed broccoli cheddar soup with 12 ounces shell pasta. Make it a meal by adding 2 cups cooked broccoli florets and 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken. See below for the full recipe.

How to Make 6-Ingredient Broccoli-Cheddar Chicken Pasta

• 12 ounces shell pasta

• 2 cups broccoli florets

• 1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 to 3 lbs) or about 3 to  3½ cups shredded cooked chicken

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 (24 oz) tub Broccoli-Cheddar soup
  

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add pasta and cook until al dente, following package directions; reserve ½ cup pasta water. Three minutes before the pasta is done, add broccoli. Drain the pasta and broccoli from the water.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the chicken: Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken and separate the meat from the bones then shred into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

3. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the soup and chicken and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli, along with the reserved pasta water and stir to combine. Divide pasta among bowls and garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Read the original article on All Recipes.