Improv Pantry Pasta

Improv Pantry Pasta

So I spent all my grocery money for this month, so I've really been trying to use that I already have. I made this pasta entirely out of things that I already had around the house. I mean, you should always have pasta in the pantry because you can put almost anything in it. Remember this? This marinara sauce has been super handy! Seriously. It turned into another pasta, chicken parmesan, this pasta, and a barbecue chicken pizza (more on that later!).

The dish on this pasta is basically just that I looked in the cupboard, the fridge, and the freezer to see what I had to work with. I found marinara, frozen artichokes, onion, angel hair pasta, baby spinach, parmesan cheese... I actually wasn't so sure how this all would turn out, but the flavors came together really well! Everything about this recipe is improvised, so there really aren't any measurements. Just use what you have and how much you want.

Improv Pantry Pasta

Recipe...

1) Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add a little butter and/or EVOO. Add sliced onion. Let them caramelize (ie: don't move them around to much- it's a fine balance to leave them long enough to caramelize, but not so long they burn). Add a little salt at the end.

2) Boil water, salt it well, and cook some angel hair pasta (or whatever you have). Heat some marinara sauce in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.

3) Defrost frozen artichokes in the microwave.

4) Roughly chop baby spinach a little bit (don't overdo it!).

5) When the onions are a nice golden color, remove from the pan. Add a little more oil and the artichokes. Let them brown, stirring occasionally.

6) Add the cooked pasta, onions, marinara sauce (a little bit at a time), and baby spinach. Let the spinach wilt a little bit and add sauce to taste. Shave a little parmesan cheese over the top (try using a vegetable peeler).