Kitchen Fan: Whatever’s in the Fridge Pasta
By Nóra McIntyre
Some years (days) ago, when I was strolling about downtown Florence (Fairbanks), I came upon a quaint little market (Fred Meyer). I was perusing the fresh produce, tomatoes, onions, herbs, when a wise looking gentleman (my roommate) approached me. My face must’ve given away my vexation, that I had no idea what to prepare for dinner, because he endeavored to share with me a coveted and highly secret family recipe for pasta. He called it, Whatever’s in the Fridge Pasta. Now, I take it upon myself to share this recipe, which frankly changed my life, cured my ailments, transformed my thinking, etc. (results may vary).
Whatever’s in the Fridge Pasta
Ingredients:
-Olive oil (or any other oil on hand)
-Pasta (your preferred shape)
-Premade pasta sauce (to use as a base) (your preferred brand)
-Red onion (½)
-Garlic (Fresh or minced)
-Assorted vegetables: any you prefer/have on hand (hence, “whatever’s in the fridge) — we used red bell pepper (1), mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach, broccoli
-Meat (optional): Beef, chicken, sausage, whatever is on hand
-Herbs and spices: Whatever you prefer, to taste. We used salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, parsley
-Heavy cream (optional)
-Butter (optional)
-Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions:
Turn on the kitchen fan! We are not setting off the smoke detector today. Next, finely dice the garlic, onion, and the rest of the assorted vegetables. Garlic is to taste, feel free to go overboard.
Put on a pot of water to boil on high heat. We added a dash of salt and a splash of olive oil to the water.
Warm olive oil in a large pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add diced garlic and onions, and sauté them until they are lightly browned. To prevent burning, use a wooden spoon or spatula to move the onions and garlic around, and keep a close eye on them.
Add the rest of your diced vegetables and sauté them until they are a little soft. Use a fork to test softness! You can also add any precooked meat at this time if you have it. Around this time, it may be time to add the pasta to the boiling water. For al dente pasta, shave off 1-3 minutes from the cooking time.
Add the premade pasta sauce to the pan (and heavy cream if applicable). Add spices to taste. Start slow and taste often. You can always add, but not subtract spices. Continue stirring while allowing the sauce to simmer for a few minutes on medium heat, before turning the heat down to low. The flavors will continue to meld on low heat.
Once the pasta is cooked to your preferred softness, strain it, leaving a little less than ¼ cup of water. Set the cooked pasta aside. Add the extra pasta water to the sauce. Once the flavors of the sauce have married for a few minutes and the taste is to your liking, add the cooked pasta in. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired, and enjoy!
Additional tips!
Sour cream can be used as a substitute for heavy cream. It provides a distinct flavor, and is more likely to be found in the fridge.
You can also add a pad of butter to the sauce for a richer flavor and texture
For vegetarians and vegans, crumbled vegan Italian sausage is a great addition to this pasta dish
For a smoother textured sauce, mash vegetables in the pan, or toss the whole sauce into the blender
To eliminate an overly tomatoey taste, adding a (small) dash of sugar to the sauce can do the trick!