Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Simple Comfort Food When Eating Alone


What kind of supper do you put together after a busy day?  My choice last night wasn't even a recipe really, just using perfect ingredients from the fridge and freezer.
About a month or so ago I made a huge batch of Roasted Vegetable Broth.which I then put in two cup portions in zip lock baggies and pull one out as I need them for soup bases, or instead of water when making quinoa or rice dishes.  Obviously after last night, I'll have to make another batch soon.

I love stuffed tortellini, ravioli and... well any stuffed tiny pasta pocket will do. There was a time when buying fresh pasta was only an option if you lived in a big city with a large Italian community with some specialty shops that sold homemade pastas.  Now you can find them in just about any grocery store.  

The last set of ingredients for my perfect soupy supper.... some greens (this time Swiss chard) and sliced mushrooms that I sauteed in a little oil first - this time I felt the need for an Asian flavor - probably because my daughter was marinating some tofu for their supper when  I dropped the boys back home after a busy afternoon
I couldn't resist sharing our giant Mega Blocks tower... but I digress....

Here's the final "recipe"
1.  Cook the stuffed fresh tortellini or other small pasta in lots of salted boiling water

2.  Meanwhile, saute a handful of sliced mushrooms in some oil in a hot skillet.  I used olive and finished with a dash of sesame oil for that Asian flavor.

3.  While the pasta is cooking and the mushrooms sauteing, using a medium sized pot,heat up the broth.

4.  Once the pasta is tender, use a slotted spoon and transfer the pasta & mushrooms to the soup.  Coarsely chop the Swiss chard or other greens and add to the soup.  You just need a couple of minutes for the greens to wilt.

5. Season with salt & pepper (this time I added a dash of soy sauce for more of that Asian flavor.

And the perfect segue to Presto Pasta Nights Roundup.  I'm hosting this week, so please send your delicious pastas to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday, Oct 25.  Make sure you mention Presto Pasta Nights with a link as well as the link to your own entry.  If you don't have a blog, send me the recipe and I'll share it on mine.

2 comments:

Simona Carini said...

That looks like a wonderful supper!

SandyLA90034 said...

"There was a time when buying fresh pasta was only an option if you lived in a big city with a large Italian community with some specialty shops that sold homemade pastas."

Showing my age here, but this brings back memories from 50 years ago when my Mom used to drive to the beach area of Santa Barbara where we'd go up rickety stairs to a place she bought homemade ravioli from an Italian immigrant. He always made sure to tell her exactly how to make them.

Santa Barbara in those days was a sleepy coastal village, not the celebrity enclave it is now!