Tags: Honesty Zone Pasta People Quick Recipes Weekday Meals
BLOGGING IN THE TIME OF COVID19
A brief note on the topic
If I had told you a year ago that we’d be living through a pandemic crisis worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, would you have laughed? I would have rolled my eyes for sure. I’ve seen just about every pandemic/zombie/end-of-the-world movie out there, and never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined living through this craziness.
With all this going on, I’ve had a hard time focusing on the blog. Is continuing to blog making light of the situation? Should I press pause out of respect? Am I overthinking this? I’m not one to publicly speak on my political or social beliefs, so I won’t use this platform to speak my mind on COVID19. If I’m not going to talk about it, maybe I should just stick to “light-and-fluffy” social media and resume the blog once this all blows over.
I know that there are varying levels of panic and anxiety right now and I always want to be respectful of the feelings of others. With that in mind I decided to press pause and wait it out.
I was scrolling through Instagram the other day when I came across a post from a mom blogger I follow. She was talking about going through the EXACT same thought pattern I just described…only she came to a different conclusion. If her home DIY blog could bring a little joy or a moment of distraction from COVID19 to her small community, why stop? Good advice!
So here I go…trudging on in these crazy and uncertain times. I assure you I have nothing of great consequence to say, but I’ll continue to share as I always have.
PANTRY PASTA: Aglio e Olio
It seems like everyone has a comfort food they turn to in time of stress or sadness. It’s usually something rich, heavy, saucy, or all the above. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy, cheesy enchiladas, creamy potato soup with fresh baked bread…or let’s be real, a tub of ice cream and a spoon. My comfort food? Pasta! A warm bowl of pasta just lifts me right up. So, you can imagine how much pasta I’ve been eating the past few months.
With the slight shortage at the grocery store and shopping being limited in general these days, I’ve had to get pretty creative with my pasta dishes. I’ve learned to embrace canned tomatoes and dried herbs, to cope with mixed and matched pasta shapes, and more importantly which of my favorite pasta ingredients can be substituted. It’s actually been kinda fun and liberating to learn I can make something crazy delicious with the most random pantry ingredients. (I’ve also had some epic fails, but let’s gloss right over those and focus on the positive, shall we? haha)
My absolute favorite pasta dish is Aglio e Olio. It’s one of those super simple recipes that’s just insanely delicious. There are no rules to this dish and the measurements need to be looked at very fluidly. It’s one of those dishes you can make at a moment’s notice, and I’ll bet you have what you need in your kitchen right now. So, let’s get cooking.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Or some variety of such
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3-6 garlic cloves, minced
- Parsley to taste – fresh or dried (if fresh, mince)
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Butter, a generous tablespoon
- Juice of one lemon
- Pasta
- Parmesan Cheese, grated
- Reserved pasta cooking water
*NOTE: The most important thing to remember about this dish is that it’s completely customizable. Adjust the recipe to suit your tastes or the tastes of those you’re cooking for. For example, when I’m making it for the boys, I’ll skip the red pepper flakes. If I’m making it for Adrian, I’ll cut back or completely skip the lemon. If I made it for my sister, I’d skip the parsley. If I made it for my mom, I’d cut WAY back on the garlic.
**ONE MORE NOTE: This dish cooks FAST so make sure all your prep work is done before you even turn on your stove. It also helps to start your sauce as soon as you’ve poured your pasta into the boiling water. If you do that, your pasta will be ready just in time to add it to the sauce.
HOW TO:
– Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta very al dente (pasta will continue to cook in sauce) Reserve the pasta cooking water.
– While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med/high heat.
– Once the oil is nice and hot add the garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is just golden (be careful not to burn the garlic)
– Moving very quickly, add the butter and lemon juice.
– Once the butter has melted, add the pasta, a cup of the starchy pasta cooking water, and a generous helping of parmesan cheese (or salt to taste if you don’t have parmesan). Toss until the sauce thickens and pasta reaches “true” al dente.
– Serve immediately and prepare to be amazed!
***Ok I lied…ONE MORE NOTE: I like to add a poached egg because we’re egg people. The runny yolk makes it super rich and heavenly. It’s our preference. You could even throw in some frozen peas if you’re trying to increase veggie intake (especially for your little ones)
