The thing about cooking that I love is that there are really no rules. My guests always tell me “I could never just whip that up” and my response? “umm yes you could”. I usually follow some basic principals but generally the key to a good dish is confidence. Open up your fridge and just grab what you’ve got – no recipe has to be by the book, the reason I post mine is to inspire you to use what you have and get creative!
Garbage Pasta is a perfect example. Simply put 1) Boil pasta 2) Add a bunch of crazy ingredients to a fry pan & brown. 3) add tomato / pasta sauce & a few italian spices IF you have them (ie oregano/ basil) 4) add protein 5) Mix it all together 6) Top with grated cheese 7) Broil / Bake until Golden Brown 8) Serve. 9) Have a glass of wine 10) Pat yourself on your back
(PS if you start with #9 first you may just give yourself a little liquid courage and really nail this dish!)
Garbage Pasta Directions:
1. In a deep saucepan or pot, boil one large handful of Whole Grain Pasta (Spaghettini or Spaghetti).
2. In a deep frying pan add 1 tbsp E.V.O.O, any veggies that are about to spoil in your fridge ie: Onions, Carrots, Mushrooms, Zucchini, Asparagus, Celery, Eggplant, Green Pepper (DICED or CHOPPED) Black olives, capers, green olives etc. Cook veggies until they sweat & brown slightly
3. In a separate frying pan, brown or reheat leftovers of the desired protein. ie: Chicken breast, Leftover chicken, ground turkey, Ham, or ground beef. Add 2 cups of plain tomato sauce or prepared pasta sauce, and salt & pepper to taste. Then add 1/4 cup Philly light creme cheese (helps make the sauce slightly creamy, my secret ingredient in most pasta sauces).
4. Strain Pasta, add Sauce Mixture & Protein
5. Add final mixture to baking dish, top with 1/2 cup of ANY grated left over cheese (Cheddar, mozzarella, Parm, Asiago, Jack)
5. Broil for 3 minutes or until slightly brown ….
6. ENJOY!
xo
Jilly
