The Pantry Will Save Us

On my day off yesterday I did a lot of what I love most – cooking! After a morning swim, I made some tasty Paninis. I’ll post a photo soon.

Then, while lounging in the Jacuzzi for the afternoon I was pondering what to prepare for dinner. I didn’t really have anything in mind, all of the meat we have was frozen and there really wasn’t enough time to defrost it properly. I was in the mood for pasta, which I always have LOTS of on hand in the pantry.

While on the phone with my mom, she suggested I cook some noodles then mix a can of crushed tomatoes and some grated mozzarella cheese into a casserole dish and let it bake for a little while. I listened to mom, but added a few other ingredients from my pantry. It really is amazing what you can accomplish when you have a well-stocked pantry.

I also added toasted pine nuts, some feta cheese, sliced kalamata olives, sliced sun-dried tomatoes and a little fresh ground pepper. I also threw in a couple hot Italian sausages that I sliced up and cooked in a skillet until they were browned. Oh, and I used rigatoni pasta. All the yummy ingredients get caught in the large tubes, making for the perfect bite every time. After only about 20 minutes in the oven at 350 the cheese got nice and melty.

For dessert, we made chocolate covered strawberries. The photo (when I post it tonight) will speak for itself!