Rotini Tricolore and the Veggies of Tastiness

Really, it is what it says on the tin… except with a few added treats 🙂 .  As to the title, it’s just one of those days when the quirky is a bit stronger than usual.

Moving on… What do you do when you’ve  bunch of veg in the fridge that is on the verge of going off? Why you use it, of course.  It could be a casserole, a bake of some variety, stew?  Here I’ve combined the old standby, rotini (I had tricolore, it’s tasty, and has the added benefit of spinach and tomato pulp already in, so that’s what I used), with the weekly-ish vegi exodus from the fridge (there’s not much space and the average temp in there isn’t that low).  And a side of buttered (Pure spreaded just doesn’t have the same ring to it) toast (optional, as always).

 

Ingredients:

Pasta, of your choice; should work fine with regular spaghetti or noodles too, I’ve just not tried it yet 🙂

Whatever you’ve in the fridge.  I always have mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and broccoli, but it would work just as well without some of these, with others, or just a few — you’re essentially making your own pasta sauce.  Chop the veg before you get to the stage where you need, otherwise it’s just a bit of a mess.  If you’re waiting for the pasta, you can do it then, but be careful to watch and make sure the water doesn’t boil over–gets messy.

Tomato paste — I’d say about a tablespoon, maybe more (depends on how tomato-y you want the end result–I didn’t really taste it, so if you like the tomato flavour, there’s a marker)

Bisto onion gravy granules — they’re vegan and gravy is tasty, ‘nough said.  If, however, you’re not keen on gravy, leave it out.  In that case, I’d suggest adding more tomato paste

Misc Herbs & Spices: Chili flakes, Parsley, Basil, Oregano, Ground Black Pepper, pinch of Salt, Garlic Granules

Prep:

Make the pasta (e.g. follow the directions on the pack, make sure it’s to the done-ness you want, drain it, and then rinse it off… concentrated starch is NOT a fun flavour to bite into).  Once that is done, set it aside.  If it gets a bit cold, that’s fine, you’ll add it to the rest and it can heat right back up again [Note: if you’ve more than one pan, just use both and you’ll avoid the cold pasta situation].  Now, pour some gravy granules in the pan (after you’ve rinsed it out, if you’re using the same one), and add some hot water from the kettle — makes it go faster, but you can just boil water on the stove and add them then too, if you’d rather [Note: regardless, you’ll need the hob still on so as to cook the veg, so keep it going post-pasta if possible].  After you’ve the hot gravy, add the spices (however much you’d like of each, doesn’t matter much– I’m rather fond of Pepper, Garlic, and Chili, so there’s usually more than other people might put in).  Add the Tomato paste to the mix, so you get a nice base sauce.  Add the veg (try to have pieces relatively similar in size, they cook through in roughly the same time — leave at mark 3 for about half an hour, checking and stirring occasionally.  I usually test it by picking the hardest vegetable — usually bit of a broccoli stem, or carrot, if they’re in the mix that week — and testing it against the side of the pan with the stirring spoon.  Squishy: done, Not Squishy: not done.  If you’re more into crunchy veg than I, which you might well be, leave it sit for a shorter time. 🙂

When you’re happy with how the veg have cooked, add the pasta back into the pot and let sit for a few min.  Take off the heat and let sit for another few min — you don’t want the pasta to get over-done in the process, but you want the gravy to work into it and the pasta to heat if it’s gone a bit chill.  When it’s satisfactory, spoon out some and enjoy.  Feel free to garnish with a roll/toast if it strikes your fancy.

Enjoy. 🙂  And, as usual, if you’ve adaptation suggestions, I’d be glad to read them.