Recipe | 15-minute Pasta

The 15-minute Pasta
Servings per batch: Good for 2 to 3 people
Total preparation time: Around fifteen minutes
Difficulty: Easy! :)


It's rare that I actually find time to cook during the academic year, but there come days when I feel compelled to just make something, and this happened to be one of those days.

I'm not a big fan of our local renditions of pasta dishes so today I wish to share with you a very simple pasta dish that may be quite different from what we can typically get in some of our more popular food establishments.

I hope you guys enjoy making and eating this as much as I did! :) Happy cooking!

PS. When cooking and baking, I don't follow recipes. I go by intuition. For this dish, feel around for how much of each ingredient you wish/need to put. It may seem a little intimidating if you're not comfortable with having no set recipe, but you'll see what I mean when I say you'll just know how much you need once you're there when, well, you're there cooking already ;)

I also encourage you to throw in things you have lying around in your cupboard, if you want. Things like a can of flaked tuna or a can of anchovies -- just a little common sense about what you put in there, of course :) Haha! Don't go too crazy.

The 15-minute Pasta [ good for 2-3 people ]

• ~½ pack of your pasta noodle of choice
  
• Olive oil
• Tuscan sauce (you can buy this or make your own; this would be a good idea to have as a staple :) it's salty and a bit spicy, you can use it in a lot of dishes, and a little Tuscan sauce goes a long way!)
  
• Pesto
  
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cheese (can be robusto, parmesano, etc -- even Quick Melt, if you like! :P you can use as many varieties as you want)
  
• Herbs of your choice (rosemary, Italian herb mix, etc)
  
• 1-2 tomatoes, diced
• 1-2 teaspoons tomato paste
  
• 1 small garlic, diced
  
• 1 small onion, diced
  
• A couple of olives, sliced
  

Be sure that all your ingredients are prepared beforehand because this really is a quick dish. Have your noodles boiling in a separate pot (water, a little oil, a bit of salt) while you throw together your sauce.

Pour a bit of olive oil in your heated pan (big enough to hold your pasta later on) followed by your garlic and onions. Once your onions are translucent, add some of your Tuscan sauce then your tomatoes. Mash them up (your tomatoes will add a little tang to the taste and some colour to your plate :9) then add your olives, pesto, salt and pepper, some more of your Tuscan sauce, tomato paste, and herbs to taste. This would also be the time to add your tuna/anchovies, if you wish. Add oil at your discretion -- hint: if it's looking a little dry, it's time to put more oil in. (Don't worry -- there's no meat here, so there's no fat from the meat for everything to cook in.) Add a bit of your cheese in.

Once you're happy with your sauce and your noodles are ready (al dente!), strain the noodles (basic idea: just strain them, pour a little cold water over them while still in the strainer) and once most of the water is off, add them into your pan. Stir well so all the noodles are coated, add more salt and pepper to taste (if you want), then add in your cheese. Stir some more, until everything is mixed well and serve.

Simple and delicious. :)