Pasta with Whatever’s in the Fridge

Today I did what I should have done yesterday: the flat cleaning I’d put off. It was such a nightmare that I deserved something good to eat. So I quickly came up with a pasta recipe using whatever was in the fridge.

I wouldn’t say the fridge was particularly empty, and I could easily have made, for example, a perfectly decent pasta carbonara. But I had some rocket that was slowly approaching the end of its life, and I wanted to use it up. So this mixture came about. Pasta with whatever was to hand, or really a green version (with rocket, spring onion greens and green pepper) with lean cold cuts. Plus a hot chilli (I admit I probably overdid it a little, but that’s because yesterday I had a complaint that the prawns weren’t as hot as they were supposed to be ;).

A pretty successful dish, and literally ready in 20 minutes. Just make it and stop complaining. If you make the chilli version, some red wine will definitely come in handy, or at least a good wheat beer. Recommended!

Recipe details:

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: two fairly generous portions

How many calories: after a thorough clean of the flat, it’s as if it had none

Ingredients for pasta with cold cuts, greens and cheese:

• a few slices of lean cold cuts (I had the last of some Italian ham and Sopot-style smoked pork loin)
• 2 handfuls rocket
• 1 shallot
• 2 spring onions (both the bulbs and the green tops)
• 1 large hot red chilli (if you want medium heat rather than very hot, use 1/3 of a chilli like this; if you want it mild, leave this ingredient out)
• half a large green pepper (fresh)
• half a Brie cheese with olives (that is, half a standard pack)
• olive oil
• freshly ground mixed peppercorns
• dried rosemary
• salt
• pasta (I used fettuccine)

Recipe for pasta with whatever’s in the fridge:

First I cooked the pasta and drained it.

I got on with preparing the dish. I cut the cold cuts into strips and diced the shallot and spring onion bulbs fairly coarsely. I cut the hot red chilli into fairly large squares. I heated olive oil in a fairly deep frying pan and added the cold cuts, chilli and onions (shallot and spring onion). I sprinkled over two pinches of salt, freshly ground mixed peppercorns and a teaspoon of dried rosemary.

I cut the green pepper into strips and added it to the pan after about 4 minutes. I fried everything for about 3 minutes and added the Brie cut into squares (mine had olives in it, but of course plain Brie is fine too). I stirred briefly so that the cheese would start melting nicely.

I added the previously cooked pasta and mixed very thoroughly. I added some more freshly ground mixed peppercorns. I added the roughly chopped spring onion greens. Finally, I switched off the „heat” under the pan and added fresh rocket torn into small pieces. I mixed thoroughly.

A meal out of nothing, ready 🙂 Enjoy!