Monday, November 17, 2008

7 Day Old Pasta



That's right...I said 7 days! But it still smelled good so I don't anticipate a night of stomach cramps.

Why am I telling you this? It reminds me of a story I heard about an uncle who recently passed away. He used to make a soup that consisted of everything he could find in the fridge that looked like its time was about to come.

So when I opened the fridge today, hungry and in a hurry, the first thing I saw was that 7 day old bag of pasta. I thought to myself, "What would Uncle Ronnie do?" And in no time, a new favorite recipe was developed. And as promised...even you water-burners can handle this!

7 Day Old Pasta à la Uncle Ronnie
1 bag left over pasta
1 bag frozen vegetables (I used the Italian blend)
5 slices salami, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped (I use A LOT of garlic so adjust this to your taste)
olive oil
Italian Seasonings
Parmesan cheese

Cook the vegetables according to the instructions on the bag. As a shortcut, I made the vegetables when I made the pasta, all in one pot. If you do it this way, add the frozen veggies a couple minutes after you add the pasta to the boiling water.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and the salami and let them brown just a bit. Add the pasta and the veggies and heat through. Give it a good mix and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings to taste. (If you shop at Aldi's be sure to pick up a Spice Club Pizza & Pasta Grinder filled with the perfect mix of seasonings...I swear by it!)

Serve yourself a bowl and enjoy!!

Let me know how you like this recipe or any changes you made to make it your own. And as always, I'm here for your meal emergencies!