Pasta Is Pasta...Or Is It?

[StarSong]

I have a variety of pastas for different meals. Pick them up when on sale.

Pasta can be a great base of an inexpensive meal. When people say they can’t afford to cook at home, they should consider a box of spaghetti for $1 and a jar/tin of pasta sauce ~$2. Serve with some frozen vegetables ~$2. That makes a lot of meals. I’m speaking from experience back in the good old days.

So true about pasta being an inexpensive meal. Because it's so shelf stable, I only buy it when it's on sale.

Pasta primavera is basically a Depression era food. My grandmother made it often and it has remained a family favorite. Chic modern recipes have tortured this simple but incredibly delicious meal to include numerous ingredients and time-intensive steps.

In fact, it took Grandma less than 30 minutes from start to finish, including boiling the pasta water. I make it her way.

 

[StarSong]

For those interested, this is how Grandma (and succeeding generations) made that pasta dish. You'll need a couple of yellow onions, some butter and/or olive oil, a few cloves garlic (minced), some fresh or frozen vegetables (Grandma used fresh or canned), and a pound of pasta. Also salt, pepper and parmesan cheese at the table.

Start the pasta water boiling. When the pasta is al dente, drain it while reserving at least a cup of the cooking water.

While the water is boiling and pasta cooking, roughly chop the onions. Add them to a sauce pan with about 1/4 cup of olive oil or butter (or a combination), and saute until translucent. Add the garlic for the last minute or so.

Then add the vegetables (my favorite is to just use sweet green peas, but broccoli mixes also do nicely) and about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Cook until the veggies are hot and ready to eat. Don't overcook them!

Combine the pasta and vegetables in a bowl, adding more pasta water to moisten, if necessary. Serve with salt, pepper and parm.

Last thing - don't overdo it on the parmesan cheese. Americans often drown foods with cheese to the point where no other flavors come through.

Microwave or saute the leftovers - you'll probably need to add a little water to freshen it up.