Tonight was one of those nights where I wasn’t sure what to make for dinner but I knew I didn’t feel like spending a long time, I mean hello, Thursday night TV! So I whipped together one of my favorite 20 minute meals: Kitchen Sink Pasta. What is Kitchen Sink Pasta? Just like it sounds, you throw in everything you’ve got but the kitchen sink.
The beauty of this dish: It is a great way to use up leftover meats and veggies, it takes little to no time, and it is a fun way to experiement with flavors and ingredients. PLUS: This is heart healthy!
Here is the recipe I used tonight, but please use your imagination in re-creating your own! Notice I don’t use measurements for this because remember, it’s all up to whatever you have lying around and how much you think you need.
Kitchen Sink Pasta Primavera
I sauteed chopped mushrooms, red peppers, onions, and garlic in grapeseed oil over medium low heat. Meanwhile, I boiled some water and dropped in bowtie pasta. As the veggies started to soften I added cubed pieces of chicken breasts I sprinkled with salt and pepper. As the mixture cooked and the pasta had a few minutes left to cook I added chopped broccoli into the pasta to cook the rest of the way. Drain the pasta and broccoli and pour back into the veggie mixture, toss well. Pour in some jarred pasta sauce and make sure to coat well. Let the ingredients blend together with the sauce for one minute and remove from heat. Top the dish with chopped smoked almonds, fresh basil and shredded gruyere cheese. Enjoy!
See how easy that was? And let me tell you, it was delish! You may be wondering why I added smoked almonds as it’s not a typical ingredient, but they are a easy and healthy way to boost the flavor of your dish and add crunch. Mix them with the smokey gruyere and you have the perfect combination. Don’t have either on hand? Try adding pine nuts and parmesan, or walnuts and gorgonzola.
Tara O'Keeffe