Friday, November 15, 2013

DRY Pasta DISH!

The Headlines:


Making pasta is easy.

But this is easier!



I cook easy things.  It's good.  They're awesome.  All works for my family.   We're happy.  Today, I need to share a dish that makes it seem as though I was raised in the Northern portion of Italy in a small town named -- Sirmione -- near Lake Garda.  It was there that I picked up some knowledge de cuisine as I sat cross legged in front of my grandmother's old, wood burning stove.

None of that happened... but this dish makes it seem as though it did!  Ready? This one is HUGE!

Cue the organ music.  That's DRY PASTA in there!

From this...

It's cool.  You take everything - all your ingredients, including the dry (as in not cooked) pasta... put it in a pan with water and cook!  It becomes one complete pasta dish in minutes.  Italians in Sirmione probably do it all the time but here in the states... I think not.

To this!
Prepare to amaze people.

Here's What You Need:
DRY spaghetti (angel hair, whichever)
Cut tomatoes (lots they shrink)
chopped onions
chopped garlic (lots)
Fresh Basil (lots and lots)
Italian Seasoning
Salt
EVOO

Here's What You do:
Cut up tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil.  Then, put all the angel hair pasta in the pan and fill it nearly half up with water.  Next, add a few glugs of olive oil.  Finally, throw in all the fresh ingredients above and turn on the flame!



I could have added even more tomatoes, garlic and basil but I didn't.  You should, more is more.  Not less... in this case.   Less is always more - but not here.  Anyways, as it cooks you can add Italian seasoning and salt.  Turn it up to about medium-high.  It's kind of a rolling boil.  Like this...


Watch for a point that you may have to add a bit more water.  Or maybe turn down the flame to medium low.  Because obviously, you don't want it to burn.  Once the water's gone, it will.  But that is also when... it's done.  Dinner, or maybe a side, is ready.  See?



It actually comes out kind of creamy.  It's the starch in the pasta.  You know, the part that's usually drained after you boil it?  In any case,  it's AMAZING!  My kids just had trouble with the long noodles, as they usually do... so next time I may try fusilli or something.

It was a fun little trick I can now pretend I picked up from that fake grandmother of mine in Italy... or maybe my daughter can begin her own cuisine dream with me being the lead character...?  Ahhhh... okay, alright, maybe not.




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