Dinner in a Flash

Since starting my new job I’ve been getting home late, and my daughter, fresh from a long day at school followed by two hours of rowing crew is crazy hungry so I need to assemble a wholesome and filling dinner in a flash.  We have a few dishes we rely on, like pasta with tuna and capers, or breakfast for dinner, but relying on the same few dishes can get boring. Last Thursday I needed to come up with something fast, using things I had on hand. One thing I wanted to include was some feta cheese I’d bought to throw into my lunch salads, and some tomatoes that were nearing the end of their shelf life (not their freshness date which I always ignore.)

Knowing I was going for a Greek-type dish I wanted to add olives. Kalamata would be best (and are in the recipe below) but all I had was a jar of green salad olives which I like to have around. We debated adding artichoke hearts, but decided not to, though they’d be a nice addition if you have some. I made the whole (1lb.) box of pasta and we had enough for a second dinner to which I added some sautéed shrimp. If I had some fresh oregano I’d add a few crushed leaves, but unless I’m cooking something a long time such as sauce or meatloaf, I don’t like dried oregano. Crushed red pepper would be a good addition, I just didn’t think of it.

I once got some advice from the chef of one of my favorite restaurants about cooking pasta. He said he uses as little water as possible so when he uses the leftover cooking water to thin a sauce it’s nice and starchy. I know this is counter to the loads of water theory, but I’ve been doing it this way for a few years with fine results. I ended up using a whole cup of it.

The whole meal was prepped an ready to eat in about thirty minutes, and it is a great vegetarian/meatless Monday dinner. I like using fresh grape tomatoes, but you could use drained canned tomatoes too. If you like your pasta swimming in sauce this may not be the recipe for you, but we liked it so much I made it again last night using Kalamatas, better feta, and some luscious Minzano tomatoes.  When buying feta I don’t recommend buying pre-crumbled cheese; it’s dry and often flavorless. It’s worth seeking out a good feta packed in brine. I like the French Valbreso it’s creamy, tangy, just the right amount of salty, and smooth.

You’ll notice that the pictures look slightly different. Some are from the first batch when I used green olives, and a meltier feta. The others are from the most recent batch which was even better than the first, but is missing the parsley (I forgot to buy it). What is your favorite quick dinner?

Greek Pasta

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Serves	3-4
Cook time	30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1lb Pasta (use something curly; cavatappi, radiatorre, fusili)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes (cherry, or roma tomatoes will also work)
• 4-6oz good quality Feta cheese (Cubed or crumbled)
• 4oz pitted kalamata olives (rough chopped)
• 1/2 bunch Italian parsely (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced or put through a press)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4-5oz mushrooms (sliced)

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil (just water enough to cover pasta) When water is boiling add pasta and cook according to directions (Before draining reserve about 1 cup of cooking water)

Step 2

Slice small tomatoes in half, larger ones into 1/2" pieces Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add mushrooms and cook until they start to squeak. (about the same amount of time it takes the water to boil) Add tomatoes and garlic and let cook down, stirring occasionally, let cook while pasta cooks

Step 3

When pasta is done drain and return to the pot Add tomatoes, parsley, olives and cheese to pasta Stir and add water 1/4 cup at a time until you make a sauce that coats all the pasta (Cheese will melt and mix with the tomatoes and water to form a saucy coating; this doesn't make a heavy sauce.) Serve immediately