Recipe

Eat Like Abed From 'Community' With 2 Simple Recipes

By Tessa Domzalski at University of Canberra

Community was a comedy series that ran from 2009-2015, about the silly (and sometimes monotonous) lives of a study group at a community college. 

Even with its inconsistencies, the show is undoubtedly one of the best I've ever watched (sorry, Friends fans). Abed Nadir, played by the brilliant Danny Pudi, is one of my favorite fictional characters, so I set out to recreate his canonically favorite dishes as best as I could. 

Buttered Noodles

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 2 cups pasta
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1

Begin by setting a pot of salted water to a boil and prepping ingredients.

Tessa Domzalski

Step 2

Add 2 cups dry pasta (I used fusilli) to boiling water and cook until al dente.

Tessa Domzalski

Step 3

Drain cooked pasta. Add butter, salt and pepper. Stir until pasta is evenly coated with seasonings.

Tessa Domzalski

Step 4

Plate the dish and enjoy! (Abed eats his buttered noodles with chopsticks.)

Tessa Domzalski

So, I’m not going to lie, this isn’t very healthy. It’s just butter on pasta. BUT it does taste good and great for us college students who are running low on grocery funds. 

Since I enjoy experimentation I used this recipe as a base for another pasta dish. I followed the directions for buttered noodles, yet added a few things during step 3 (parmesan, cilantro and shallots). It ads a blast of flavor while still being a simple dish. 

Next, is Abed's favorite beverage, the so-called "special drink". At one point it's called the secret to Abed's satisfaction. Maybe mine too?

Special Drink

  • Prep Time: 3 mins
  • Cook Time: 2 mins
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp instant cocoa mix
  • Milk your choosing

Step 1

Prep ingredients.

Tessa Domzalski

Step 2

Add 2 tbsp of cocoa mix to cup.

Tessa Domzalski

Step 3

Add 1 tbsp of cold milk and combine with cocoa mix until paste-y.

Tessa Domzalski

Step 4

Add milk to mixture until cup is full. Stir. Enjoy!

Tessa Domzalski

While I don't think this recipe will be replacing standard hot cocoa, I do understand the appeal. It's cool, it's refreshing, and you get tasty granules of sugar. I get why this is the secret to Abed's satisfaction.

Even if you aren't familiar with the show Community, these meals can still totally find their way into your dorm room diet. They're cheap, easy, and most importantly: they're tasty.